Egypt delegation rounds up brief visit to Gaza

An Egyptian delegation rounded up its brief visit to the Gaza Strip yesterday evening, having only arrived on Thursday afternoon.

The delegation consisted of the Deputy Chief of the Egyptian Intelligence Agency, Ayman Badei, and the intelligence official in charge of the Palestinian file, Ahmad Abdel-Khaliq.

The delegation entered the besieged coastal enclave through the Erez (Beit Hanoun) crossing which borders Israel, returning to Egyptian capital Cairo using the same route.

During its stay in the Gaza Strip, the delegation met with Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials, as well as officials from other Palestinian factions. The groups reportedly discussed reconciliation between Palestinian factions, the closure of Rafah Crossing – the only pedestrian crossing for Gaza’s civilians – and the Great March of Return protests.

After the meeting, the delegation visited Fatah’s Chief in Gaza, Ahmad Hillis, at his home and the head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, though no details were reported about these meetings.

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