Jul 29, 2008, 18:53 GMT
Cairo - A delegation of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas arrived in Cairo Tuesday to discuss with Egyptian officials a truce and prisoner exchange deal with Israel.
The delegation, headed by Mussa Abu Marzouq, deputy of the Damascus-based political wing of the movement, was to discuss ways to strengthen the fragile truce between Israel and Palestinians.
The delegate, that stays for a few-days visit, will also discuss a prisoner swap includeing exchanging Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured in June 2006, with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held captive in Israeli prisons.
Abu Marzouq's delegation joined another that arrived Tuesday morning in Rafah.
A senior official in the delegation told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa earlier on Tuesday that delegation 'will discuss ways to advance a truce between the Palestinian group and Israel, after the renewed tensions in Gaza.'
Violence in Gaza erupted following a Hamas crackdown on rival factions suspected of carrying out a bomb attack last Friday, which claimed the lives of five Hamas members.
Hamas blamed the attack on members of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. Hamas supporters called for revenge for the bomb blasts while Fatah denied any involvement.
The two main Palestinian factions have been bitterly divided since Hamas seized power in Gaza over a year ago.
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