CAIRO: A high-level Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday to meet Egyptian officials. The delegation will discuss the blockade of Gaza and achieving national reconciliation with the Fatah movement.
Hamas has sought to improve relations with Egypt in the past few months. This week’s visit includes the group’s head, Yahya Al-Sunwar, and head of the political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, on his first foreign visit since being elected to the post last May.
The talks, according to a statement from Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum, will cover the mechanisms for allowing entry into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, in addition to mending a longstanding rift with rival group, Fatah.
Senior Hamas member, Mousa Abu Marzook, told the local Egyptian Al-Shorouk newspaper, “Hamas has always welcomed Egypt’s leading role.”
Regarding the Rafah border, Abu Marzook said: “We understand that opening the crossing is solely an Egyptian decision but we hope it will be opened on a regular basis in order to allow the passage of people and goods.”
He also said the talks would discuss the stringent measures taken by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against the movement ruling the Gaza Strip.
Egypt’s state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper said Sunday that a delegation headed by the former Fatah leader, Mohammed Dahlan, is expected to join the meetings in Cairo.
Hamas’ leadership has been in talks with Mohammed Dahlan, the exiled former Fatah leader in Gaza who was defeated by Hamas when it took control of the territory in 2007.
The group hopes Dahlan can persuade Egypt to come to the aid of the people of Gaza who are struggling under the decade-long Israeli blockade which has been supported by successive Egyptian governments.
On whether the delegation will meet Dahlan on the Cairo visit, Abu Marzook was quoted as saying, “This issue is not on the agenda of the delegation.”
“The visit to Egypt could represent a message from Hamas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that they are open to overtures by the Dahlan supporters,” political analyst Mohammed Gomaa told Arab News.
Hoping to pressure Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, Abbas has cut payments to Israel for the electricity it supplies to Gaza. This means that electricity has often been provided for less than four hours a day, and never more than six.
Abbas has vowed to maintain sanctions on Gaza, saying the measures are aimed against Hamas and not ordinary people. In turn, Hamas is trying to make a crack in the wall of sanctions by improving its relations with Egypt and other Arab countries.
Top Hamas leaders visit Egypt for national reconciliation
Top Hamas leaders visit Egypt for national reconciliation
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
