By Xinhua,
Damascus : Visiting former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Saturday held talks with exiled Hamas politburo chief in Damascus Khaled Meshaal for a second time in two days.
The two sides discussed several subjects, including Israeli-Palestinian crossing points, captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit,the siege on the Palestinians and a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, Meshaal’s deputy Moussa Abu Marzouk said after the one-hour meeting.
Carter reviewed with Meshaal some proposed plans, worked out by members of his delegation and advisors from the Islamic organization at an overnight meeting here, according to another Hamas source.
Carter held the first meeting with Meshaal and Abu Marzouk for more than four hours on Friday evening after he met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Carter, defying criticism from the U.S. administration and Israel, concluded his two-day stay here and left for Saudi Arabia to continue his tour in the Middle East.
A Hamas delegation will visit Damascus Saturday to meet with Meshaal and talk about reinforcing a ceasefire between armed Palestinian groups and Israel, Palestinian sources said.
The delegation, including Gaza-based leaders Mahmoud Zahar and Said Siam, will brief Meshaal on the results of their talks held in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman over reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
In addition to the ceasefire, the discussions will focus on lifting the siege that Israel has been imposing on Gaza since Hamas took over the territory by force last June, the sources said.
Zahar and Siam will return to Cairo after two days to meet again with Omar Suleiman whose agency sponsors indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, according to Egypt’s official MENA news agency.
Zahar and Siam met Carter on Thursday in Cairo when they left besieged Gaza through Rafah crossing.
Hamas considers the meetings with Carter a progress towards overcoming international isolation imposed by the West on the movement.