Gaza: Many Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip are optimistic after the meeting which took a place in Cairo between the Egyptian president Dr. Mohammad Mursi and Prime Minister Esmail Haniya as they believe there might be some change in their living conditions.

Gazans have been going through several crises such as water shortages, fuel shortages and power cuts along with tough restrictions on movement.

Mohammed Al Masri, 41-year-old government employee, said: “After this meeting, I’m optimistic about Qatari industrial fuel entering Gaza to solve the energy crisis we have been facing for months now.”

According to Hamas leadership, the meeting was successful and will change many things in the daily lives of the people.

Mustafa Al Sawaf, a senior member in the Islamic movement Hamas, said: “The Egyptian president has promised to ensure an increase in the industrial fuel supply by Qatar in order to ease power shortages along with other facilities.”

The visit by Haniya is considered a big shift in Cairo’s stance toward the Islamic movement Hamas after the election of a Muslim Brotherhood head of state in Egypt.

The previous Hosni Mubarak regime has not recognised the Islamic movement administration which has taken over Gaza in 2007, when its forces defeated Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian National Authority.

Al Sawaf added: “Issues such as easing the movement at the crossings and the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah were discussed and Mursi has promised to provide all the necessary support to the Palestinian people.

Mursi’s victory was celebrated in Gaza as a turning point for a territory whose economy has been affected by a blockade imposed by Israel and in which Egypt used to take a part in during Mubarak regime by closing Rafah crossing.

Despite that, Hamas has yet to see any sign of a policy shift since the election of Mursi.

Talal Okel, a political analyst, said: “I believe that Mursi will provide the necessities such as fuel, electricity and aid but he will not be able to do much regarding the restrictions imposed on Rafah crossing.

Hamas hoped that the Rafah crossing will be opened without any restrictions and planned to build a free zone at the crossing in order to avoid passage of goods from Israeli crossings.