A delegation of Hamas leaders, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Cairo on Sunday for a planned meeting with Egyptian intelligence service officials to discuss developments in the Gaza Strip, Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya and Al Hadath reported.
While the delegation’s visit had been scheduled as part of ongoing political efforts, the continued escalation in Gaza is expected to be addressed.
This comes as the US moves towards forming the Board of Peace to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza stipulated in last week's Security Council resolution 2803.
This is a prelude to the second phase of the Gaza agreement, the Saudi news sites said.
US to build communities in Rafah
While the first phase of the Gaza deal stretches on, the US is pushing ahead with new efforts to build communities for Palestinians on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, The Wall Street Journal reported.
These communities are designed to provide displaced Gazans with housing, schools, and medical facilities until more permanent facilities and communities can be constructed in hopes of pulling citizens away from Hamas-controlled areas.
Hamas has grown in popularity since the ceasefire, the WSJ stated, adding that these plans are a sign the US is not confident that Hamas will not be disarmed or replaced as authorities in the near future.
Though the WSJ reported that the US proposal is likely the only way Gaza can start rebuilding until the disarmament of Hamas, many Arab countries are concerned about the plan.
Egypt is specifically concerned that focusing Gazans in Rafah, where such communities are planned, may lead to pushing citizens across the border into the Sinai peninsula, Egyptian officials told the WSJ.