Egypt delegation meets Israel officials to discuss Gaza

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM

Members of an Egyptian security delegation have met with senior Israeli officials to discuss the situation in blockaded Gaza, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported Friday.

At a Thursday meeting in Israel, the Egyptian delegation -- which includes deputy intelligence chief Ayman Badie -- held talks with Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and senior officials from Israel’s Shabak security agency, according to the IBA.

Thursday’s meeting came within the framework of ongoing efforts by Cairo to mediate a truce between Israel and Gaza-based resistance groups.

Earlier this week, members of the same delegation met with officials from both Hamas -- which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 -- and rival Palestinian faction Fatah.

Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a military offensive against Gaza if Palestinians do not stop holding weekly mass demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.