Hamas delegation to visit Egypt on Gaza truce: Source

Gaza, Jan 31 (IANS) A Hamas delegation will visit Egypt on Wednesday to discuss the framework agreement on a truce in the Gaza Strip issued by the recent Paris meeting, a Palestinian source said.

The delegation will hold a meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo with Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service, the source, speaking on conditions of anonymity, told Xinhua news agency on Tuesday.

The meeting in Egypt will discuss the outcome of the Paris meeting, which outlined several stages for a ceasefire in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, announced that Hamas received the proposal hashed out at the Paris meeting, which involves halting the violence in Gaza and releasing the hostages held by Hamas, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

"Our response to the proposal will be based on stopping Israeli aggression against Gaza and withdrawing their forces from the Gaza Strip," he said.

He added that Hamas is open to any discussions, provided that "they lead to a comprehensive cessation of aggression and providing shelter for our displaced people".

A meeting was held on Sunday in the French capital of Paris, attended by senior intelligence and government officials from the US, Israel, Qatar and Egypt, to discuss a deal to end the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza.

The Israeli delegation was led by David Barnea, Chief of the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, and Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security agency.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday that his government will not release Palestinian prisoners or withdraw forces from Gaza, despite the international efforts to achieve a ceasefire deal.