Gaza’s Haniya heads to Egypt talks

Gaza’s Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya headed to Cairo on Saturday to discuss his Islamist movement’s complaints about Israeli compliance with an Egyptian-brokered truce.

Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said Haniya would be discussing “Israeli violations of the truce,” which ended eight days of deadly violence in and around the Gaza Strip last November.

Last week, Hamas complained to Egypt that Israel was not keeping its end of the bargain.

Nunu said that the Gaza premier would be discussing “the problem of (Palestinian) prisoners (held by Israel) and Hamas-Egypt relations.”

Ties between Hamas and Cairo have been tense after Egyptian forces closed down dozens of smuggling tunnels on the Gaza border.

Haniya will also seek to “clear the air” after Egyptian allegations of Hamas involvement in a deadly attack on Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula last year, Hamas sources said.

Reconciliation efforts between Hamas and the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas are also expected to be on the agenda.