Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    CAIRO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Monday arrived in Egypt for talks with Egyptian officials to hear Israel's response to the ceasefire proposal, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.

    The Hamas delegation is led by senior Hamas members, including former foreign minister Mahmoud Zahar, deputy political chief Moussa Abu-Marzouq and other Hamas officials.

     They are scheduled to meet Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman on Tuesday in Cairo to hear Israel's readiness to carryout the Egyptian-brokered proposal which had been accepted by the Palestinian groups, MENA quoted an Egyptian source as saying. Last week, Suleiman held talks with Israeli leaders on the truce proposal. Israel insisted that any truce proposal should include the release of a captured Israeli soldier held by Hamas in Gaza.

    If the truce deal is agreed upon between Gaza and Israel, the latter is supposed to lift the blockade imposed on Gaza and open the border crossing points and ease the restrictions on movement of people and goods.

    An Israeli blockade on Gaza since last June worsened the daily life of the population there due to a shortage of fuel, electricity and basic needs for industry and constructions.