
Egypt's Morsi
Photo: AFP
An Egyptian delegation will visit Israel for talks on the ceasefire with Hamas and border restrictions, Ma'an reported Monday, citing an Egyptian security official.
The Palestinian news agency quoted the official as saying the delegation will demand that Israel allow commercial goods to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing on Egypt's border, adding that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has already held talks with Israel through Egypt's national security service.
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"Israel has agreed to allow the entry of construction material from Qatar which the Israelis refused before. This reflects that both sides have been holding talks behind the scenes to avoid alerting the public opinion in Egypt, which refuses cooperation with Israel and the United States," he said.
An Israeli security-diplomatic delegation and Hamas representatives have been holding talks in Cairo with Egypt's mediation as part of the negotiations on a permanent agreement that will serve as an extension of the ceasefire deal that ended Operation Pillar of Defense.
The talks are aimed at preserving the calm in Gaza, with Egypt's help, so Israel will be able to continue to ease its blockade on the coastal enclave.
Egyptian media outlets reported that an Israeli security delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday for talks with senior Egyptian intelligence officials. This was the second Israeli delegation to visit Cairo in less than a week.