Hamas: Abu-Marzouk in Cairo for family reasons

Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu-Marzouk has travelled to Egypt for family reasons, Qudsnet reported the group’s spokesman Ismail Ridwan saying yesterday.

“Abu-Marzouk’s visit to Cairo is not connected to any political purpose,” Ridwan said, “he has a house and family there and he is on a family visit.”

Ridwan stressed that Abu-Marzouk is to spend some time with his family in Cairo and then return to the Gaza Strip. He denied that this visit is connected to the Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire talks.

Abu-Marzouk left the Gaza Strip yesterday through the Rafah Crossing.

Ridwan also denied any planned meeting between Hamas’ top leader Khalid Meshaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

However, he did not rule out any future meeting between the two men. “But, there was no arrangement for a meeting similar to what mass media reports stated,” he said.