Palestinian groups arrived in Egypt Sunday and Monday for continued negotiations aimed at ending months of intra-Palestinian fighting.The talks are part of the Egyptian government’s continued efforts to resolve the intra-Palestinian fighting that has grown over the past summer. “Ramadan Abdullah Shalh, a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, arrived Sunday for the dialogue that will be hosted by Egypt in the coming few days,” MENA, reported. This also includes Hamas and Fatah, the main two Palestinian parties that have been divided since a 2007 takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas. As mediator, Cairo hopes to mediate between the groups as well as the on-going negotiations with Israel. Mahmoud Zahar, former Palestinian Foreign Minister and Hamas leader, denied any rifts between Egypt and his movement in an interview with state-run Al Ahram. “There are no ruptures between the two parties, but there issues to resolve,” Za har said. He denied press reports that Egypt had used toxic gas against smugglers using tu nnels linking the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza, adding that Hamas had not changed it s demands in negotiations on the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Negotiations have stalled between Hamas and Israel over a prisoner exchange deal that includes a number of Palestinian prisoners currently held in the Jewish st a te’s jails for Gilad Shalit.
