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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas delegation heads for talks in Cairo over border issues |
| 2008-02-20 |
| (Xinhua) -- A delegation from Hamas movement headed for Cairo for talks with the Egyptian officials on reopening a crossing point between the Hamas-ruled Gaza and Egypt, a Hamas website reported on Tuesday. Reopening Rafah crossing, which was closed last June when Hamas took over Gaza by force, was the main purpose of the visit, according to Palmedia.net news website. The talks will also tackle several outstanding issues between the two sides that emerged after Hamas militants blew up the mutual borders in January, the report said without elaborating. On Jan. 23, militants from Hamas' armed wing blew up fence walls at Egypt-Gaza borders, allowing thousands of Gazans to flock into the Egyptian side to stock up on basic necessities. Also in January, Hamas officials, headed by exiled leader Khaled Mashaal, held talks with Egypt over Rafah crossing. Hamas refuses to reopen the crossing according to an international deal that stipulates the presence of European Union monitors and security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the crossing. The Islamic movement insists that the crossing should reflect "pure Egyptian-Palestinian sovereignty." Hamas ousted Abbas' Fatah movement and routed his security forces last June, seizing control of the coastal strip and drawing an unprecedented Israeli blockade. |
| Posted by:Fred |