By Xinhua
Cairo : Head of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Political Bureau Khaled Meshaal arrived here Wednesday night for talks with Egypt on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Meshaal is expected to hold talks on Thursday with senior Egyptian officials on the latest developments, particularly at the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian-Gaza border, said Egypt’s official MENA news agency.
Resuming dialogue between Hamas and its rival Fatah movement is also high on the agenda of Meshaal’s meeting with Egyptian officials, MENA said.
Egypt is mediating between the rival Palestinian movements in a bid to settle the current Gaza crisis and resume the talks between Fatah and Hamas.
On Wednesday, visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, reiterating his rejection to holding talks with Hamas unless it met some conditions.
Following his talks with Mubarak, Abbas said there would be no talks with Hamas unless they “regret their coup” and recognize international legitimacy.
On control of the Gaza crossing, Abbas said: “We are ready to take over crossings management.”
On Jan. 23, Hamas blew up the fences at the Rafah crossing, allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans to enter the Egyptian side to stock up foods, fuel and other basic necessities.
The developments at Rafah prompted Egypt to invite Hamas and Abbas for separate talks in Cairo on the reopening of the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world bypassing Israel.