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.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Until recently, Mashaal had been based in Syria.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Is our live war coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Israel-Iran conflict right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate professional journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, during an ongoing war when facts are often distorted and news coverage of Israel often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this