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Hamas leader says relations with Cairo have improved
Hamas leader says relations with Cairo have improved
Ahram Online , Wednesday 25 Jan 2017
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/256831/Egypt/Politics-/Hamas-leader-says-relations-with-Cairo-have-improv.aspx
Palestinian Hamas leader Mahmoud El-Zahar said on Tuesday that the
movement’s relations with Cairo have improved, evidenced by the reaching of
an agreement this week on border control between the Gaza Strip and Sinai
Peninsula, state news agency MENA reported.
The Islamic resistance movement’s leader said the parties did not agree on
certain terms, however, without giving further details.
El-Zahar said in statements published by El-Ra’i news website, reportedly
affiliated with the group, that a delegation of representatives from the
group met with Egyptian officials in Cairo this week.
According to El-Ra’i, the group’s delegation to Cairo included leaders
Ismail Haniyeh, Moussa Abu Marzouk and Rouhi Moshtahi.
Previous news reports said that the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau
Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo on Monday, on his return from a trip to
Doha, to hold meetings with Egyptian officials.
The last official visit of Hamas representatives to Cairo was in March 2016.
Relations between Egypt and the Palestinian Islamic group became strained in
the wake of a popular uprising that toppled Egypt’s Islamist ex-president
Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
Cairo has repeatedly accused Hamas of backing Egypt’s banned Muslim
Brotherhood organisation and smuggling through illegal tunnels in the
Gaza-Sinai border.
The Egyptian government has demanded that Hamas sever ties with the
Brotherhood, and take steps to prevent cross-border smuggling.
Cairo plays a central role in reconciliation efforts between rival
Palestinian factions, as well as efforts to end the ongoing
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=72092
