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An Israeli soldier prepares to pray as he sits in a concrete pipe used as a bomb shelter near the border with the Gaza Strip August 4, 2014.REUTERS/Nir Elias
CAIRO, Aug 4 (Aswat Masriya) - The Palestinian delegation visiting Cairo will meet with Egypt’s General Intelligence chief on Monday to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza strip, reported the state news agency MENA.
The delegation, which includes representatives from Gaza’s ruling Hamas and Palestinian Authority members, arrived in Cairo on Sunday.
They already met with general intelligence officials before the meeting scheduled for today with the intelligence chief Mohamed Farid al-Tohamy.
The delegation is pushing for a set of demands which include; ending the Israeli offensive on Gaza, lifting the siege on the strip and releasing Palestinian prisoners.
Egyptian officials promised the delegation they would adopt the demands and present them to Israel, reported MENA.
Israel was also invited to Cairo to attend the ceasefire negotiations, yet declined the invitation after accusing Hamas of breaching a 72-hour ceasefire on Friday.
Israel announced a one-sided seven-hour ceasefire on Monday, starting 10 am, to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid and allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. The ceasefire excludes the Rafah region in south Gaza.
Palestinian health ministry officials accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire after the shelling of the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, leaving at least one girl killed.
The Israeli offensive on Gaza, ongoing for almost a month, has left over 1810 Palestinians killed and around 9400 injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Israeli death toll meanwhile stands at 67, including three civilians.