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Abbas sends delegation to Egypt to discuss Hamas takeover of Gaza
By The Associated Press

A delegation representing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Cairo on Monday for talks with Egyptian officials about last month's takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas, Palestinian officials said.

Egypt has expressed support for Abbas's decision following Fatah's loss of the seaside strip to dissolve the Hamas-led government and appoint a new cabinet in the West Bank excluding the Islamic group. But Cairo has also called for dialogue between Fatah and Hamas to resolve the current crisis, a request Abbas has so far refused.

"The delegation, headed by former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, is expected to focus on coordination between Egypt and Abbas on how to deal with Hamas," said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

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"Both are facing the same problem and they need to have a unified position," said another official, who asked to remain anonymous for the same reason.

Abbas told Egypt's state-run newspaper Al-Ahram on Monday that he will not talk to Hamas as long as they are in control of Gaza.

"There will be no talk with Hamas until things go back to normal in Gaza," he said in an interview.

Egypt is afraid a Hamas-ruled Gaza on his country's border could embolden Egypt's own banned Islamic opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, and spawn terror attacks.

The delegation's visit comes a day after two ministers from Abbas' emergency government visited some 4,000 Palestinians who have been stranded in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula because the Egypt-Gaza border crossing has been closed for nearly month.

On Monday, the government of PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad in the West Bank said it supported the idea of allowing the travelers to enter Gaza through Kerem Shalom, as a one-time solution to a humanitarian crisis.

Information Minister Riyad Malki said the vast majority of the travelers were willing to undergo the Israeli security checks at the crossing, just to be able to go home. Malki said about 280 of those near the border had fled Gaza during the Hamas takeover and did not want to return.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader of Gaza, said Monday that Hamas would not agree to the rerouting the travelers through Kerem Shalom.

"We will not give the Israeli occupation this card to increase the pressure on our people," he said.

"The border must remain Palestinian-Egyptian only."

The Rafah border terminal on the Egyptian-Gaza Strip border has been closed since June 9, the start of the final round of bloody factional fighting that led to Hamas' takeover of the coastal strip.

The Rafah terminal is operated by Egypt and the Palestinian security forces under supervision of EU monitors. On Saturday, the EU said it was scaling back its monitoring mission at the Gaza-Egypt border, suggesting Gaza's only gateway to the world would not reopen anytime soon.

Abbas sends delegation to Egypt to discuss Hamas takeover of Gaza (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/879954.html)