Egypt arranges for Hamas chief's first Gaza visit

Egypt is coordinating with Israel regarding the first ever visit of the head of Hamas' politburo, Khaled Mashaal, to the Gaza Strip, a Hamas official said Tuesday. "The coordination is taking place within the framework of the recent ceasefire which Egypt brokered between Israel and the militant groups in Gaza," said Eissa Nashar, an adviser to Hamas' Prime Minister Ismail Haneya. On Saturday, Yousef Rizka, another advisor of Haneya, said Mashaal would visit Gaza Thursday in his first trip to the territory that his movement had been ruling for years. Mashaal and several members of the political bureau will go to Gaza to attend celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Islamic movement, which took over Gaza by force in 2007. At the time of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, some of Hamas leaders were unable to move freely in and out of the Gaza Strip due to the closure of the Rafah crossing. Mashaal has been based in Damascus until the eruption of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Hamas official then moved to stay mainly in Doha, Qatar.