Gaza City: Gaza's prime minister left the territory yesterday on his first trip abroad since his Hamas movement seized power in June 2007, hoping to improve ties with Muslim countries swept up in the uprisings convulsing the Arab world.
Prime Minister Esmail Haniyah's deputy, Mohammad Awad, said the Gaza leader would visit Egypt, Sudan, Qatar, Bahrain, Tunisia and Turkey.
Reconciliation
Awad said Haniyah would discuss possible development projects for Gaza and the West Bank, as well as progress toward reconciling the duelling governments of the two Palestinian territories and Israeli construction in occupied Jerusalem.
"We hope that with this visit we can turn a new page in Palestinian-Arab relations," he said before Haniya left for neighbouring Egypt through Gaza's Rafah crossing.
His departure was confirmed by border official Maher Abu Sabha.
Invitations
Awad said the Gaza prime minister would meet with uprising leaders as well as official decision-makers.
Haniyah plans to be abroad at least two weeks and possibly more if he receives invitations from other Muslim countries, Awad said.
Haniyah had been confined to Gaza, mostly because of tensions with Egypt and fighting with Israel. But Egypt's new rulers have warmed up to Hamas since longtime president Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February.
