The visit was the first by an Egyptian intelligence chief to the enclave since the early 2000s<\/p>\n
Egypt\u2019s intelligence chief met Hamas leaders in Gaza on Monday to try to bolster a ceasefire between the Palestinian group and Israel and to discuss reconstruction plans following the recent hostilities, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said.
\nThe visit was the first by an Egyptian intelligence chief to the enclave since the early 2000s.
\n\u201cThe discussion is focused on ways to cement the calm and Gaza reconstruction plans following the recent Israeli aggression,\u201d said a Hamas official, who asked not to be named.
\nHamas officials, led by Gaza chief Yehya Al-Sinwar, would urge Cairo to pressure Israel to stop \u201cits assaults against our people in Jerusalem and Sheikh Jarrah,\u201d he said.
\nEleven days of fighting between Israel and Hamas erupted on May 10 amid Palestinian anger at Israeli police raids around the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem and plans to evict Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah district of the city to make way for Jewish settlers.
\nGaza medical officials said 253 Palestinians were killed during the fighting. Palestinian rockets and missiles killed 13 people in Israel.
\nLarge posters of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egyptian flags decorated streets across the enclave to greet intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Hundreds of people lined up outside the entrance to Gaza waving Egyptian flags as his motorcade drove by.
\nKamel\u2019s visit is seen as an effort by Cairo to regain a more vital role in mediation between Israel and Hamas and revive the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process.
\nSisi directed Egyptian officials to continue efforts and meetings to solve the problem of prisoners and missing people between Israel and Hamas, Egypt\u2019s state news agency MENA reported on Sunday.
\nFollowing the meeting with Kamel in Gaza, Sinwar\u2019s deputy Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya said discussion over a new prisoners\u2019 swap deal with Israel must be isolated from truce talks.
\n\u201cWe have gone a distance in meetings that had taken place before the aggression (in May), but the occupation hasn\u2019t been serious so far. If the enemy was serious, we could move ahead faster,\u201d Hayya told reporters.
\nHe was also expected to announce plans by Cairo to build a housing city in the enclave, the official said.
\nGaza\u2019s housing ministry said 1,500 housing units were completely destroyed during the fighting, another 1,500 housing units had been damaged beyond repair, and 17,000 others suffered partial damage. A ministry official put the cost of rebuilding at $150 million.
\nOn Sunday, Kamel met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu said his meeting dealt with regional security issues and ways to prevent Hamas from siphoning off civilian aid to strengthen its capabilities.
\nKamel also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday and handed him a message from Sisi affirming Cairo\u2019s support for Palestinians and Abbas, MENA said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The visit was the first by an Egyptian intelligence chief to the enclave since the early 2000s Egypt\u2019s intelligence chief met Hamas leaders in Gaza on Monday to try to bolster a ceasefire between the Palestinian group and Israel and to discuss reconstruction plans following the recent hostilities, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said. The visit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n