' fill='%230E4F97'%3E%3Cg id='Group-5' transform='translate(370.000000, 11.000000)'%3E%3Cg id='avatar' transform='translate(6.000000, 4.000000)'%3E%3Ccircle id='Oval' cx='8' cy='4' r='4'%3E%3C/circle%3E%3Cpath d='M7.12864205,10 L8.87135795,10 C11.558649,10 14.0087196,11.5384024 15.1762205,13.958831 L16,15.6666667 L16,15.6666667 L15.3374858,17.5134983 C15.228016,17.8186575 14.9774027,18.051811 14.6651459,18.1389975 L8,20 L8,20 L1.33485405,18.1389975 C1.02259733,18.051811 0.771984007,17.8186575 0.662514216,17.5134983 L0,15.6666667 L0,15.6666667 L0.823779545,13.958831 C1.99128041,11.5384024 4.44135104,10 7.12864205,10 Z' id='Rectangle'%3E%3C/path%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hamas leader to visit Gaza for first time
Khaled Mashaal was barred from the Strip by Egypt’s Mubarak; Hamas coordinating ‘historic’ visit with Muslim Brotherhood
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A senior Hamas official in Gaza says the Islamic militant group’s leader is poised to pay his first visit ever to the coastal strip.
Khaled Mashaal is set to visit Gaza next week to mark the movement’s 25th anniversary and congratulate its leaders and militants for battling Israel during a recent 8-day offensive.
Mashaal was previously prevented from crossing into Gaza by longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. Hamas says it is coordinating the visit with Egypt’s new Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
The official, who spoke anonymously Saturday, citing security concerns, called the visit “historic.”
Hamas violently overtook Gaza from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party in 2007. It has yet to reconcile with Fatah, which rules the West Bank.
Until recently, Mashaal had been based in Syria.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
comments