Egypt has agreed to allow Hamas to open a mission in Cairo, the London-based al-Hayat newspaper reported Tuesday. Meanwhile, a joint Hamas-Egypt security committee tasked with addressing the border issue has been established.
A high-ranking Egyptian official told the paper that Hamas and Egyptian intelligence officials reached various security understandings in recent talks.
Among the committee's members are Hamas officials Ahmed Jabari, Mousa Abu Marzook, and Bassam Naim as well as Ismail Haniyeh's security advisor Ayman Taha.
According to the report, the Palestinian delegation provided the Egyptian representatives with information on the terrorists involved in the Rafah terror attack which left 16 Egyptians dead. Hamas promised it would hand over the terrorists to Egypt.
It was also reported that Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh will visit Cairo on Thursday and meet with Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil and other officials. According to Palestinian sources, the talks will revolve around the possibility of a free trade zone on the Gaza border as well as on the Rafah crossing.
The two will also discuss including the Palestinian territories in an electricity project which includes Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey in an effort to solve the Gaza power crisis.
This will be Haniyeh's second visit to Egypt since President Mohammed Morsi came into power. The two met in Cairo in August.
