A delegation from Hamas heads to Cairo for talks

Tuesday July 29, 2008 14:18 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Mahmoud Al Zahar, a leader in the Hamas movement, stated on Tuesday that a Hamas delegation will head to the Egyptian capital Cairo today for talks with Egyptian officials.

Mahmoud Al Zahar, a Hamas movement prominent leader - File 2008

In his televised interview, Al Zahar said that the delegation will discuss a number of issues among them the Israeli-Palestinian truce in Gaza. The official denied that delegation was sent based on the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas request for internal Palestinian talks.

Meanwhile the Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, Fouzi Barhum, stated on Tuesday that the delegation will discuss the living conditions in the Gaza Strip and the lack of Israeli commitment to the truce deal with Israel.

Egypt has mediated a truce deal between Hamas and Israel a month ago, the truce states that Israeli hold attacks in Gaza and lift its year long siege, in return Hamas and other resistance groups will stop firing homemade shells at Israeli areas located near the coastal region.

Barhum added that the internal Palestinian talks may fail if Fatah continues to arrests Hamas members in the West Bank.

Hamas took total control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, ending months long of infighting with Fatah, led by the Palestinian President Abbas, that started shortly after the Hamas movement won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006.

gaza strip | palestinian politics | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org