Hamas concludes Egypt visit for reconciliation talks

By Mohamed Abu Don
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – A delegation from Palestinian group Hamas concluded a three-day visit to Egypt on Wednesday for talks on bilateral relations and inter-Palestinian reconciliation.
In a statement, Hamas said the talks examined ways to boost bilateral relations between the group and Cairo and means to render the inter-Palestinian reconciliation efforts successful.
The discussions also dwelt on the difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza and ways to ease the suffering of the strip’s population, according to the statement.
Last month, Hamas and its rival group Fatah held talks in Turkey where they agreed to hold legislative and presidential elections.
The two groups have remained at odds since Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in mid-2007 after several days of street fighting.
*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara