Official: Mesha’al set to visit Gaza

Gaza: A senior Hamas official in Gaza says the Islamic group’s leader is poised to pay his first visit ever to the coastal strip.

Khalid Mesha’al is set to visit Gaza this week to mark the movement’s 25th anniversary and congratulate its leaders and fighters for battling Israel during a recent 8-day offensive.

Mesha’al was previously prevented from crossing into Gaza by long-time Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. Hamas says it is coordinating the visit with Egypt’s new Muslim Brotherhood leaders.

The official, who spoke anonymously on Saturday, citing security concerns, called the visit “historic”.

Hamas violently overtook Gaza from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party in 2007. It has yet to reconcile with Fatah, which rules the West Bank.

Until recently, Mesha’al had been based in Syria.