Egypt's intelligence chief and key advisor to President Hosni Mubarak, Major General Amr Suleiman, met on Monday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the calm with Israel as well as freedom of movement across the border of the Gaza Strip.
Suleiman was also due to meet Palestinian resistance leaders to encourage them to uphold the calm with Israel which was agreed last February, according to the AP. He is also scheduled to make a rare public appearance on behalf of President Mubarak before the Palestinian parliament Tuesday, and then continue to Jerusalem where he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
This was the first such visit by Suleiman since Abbas succeeded Yasser Arafat last year. Suleiman has helped mediate security problems in the past between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Palestinians are hoping to persuade Israel to allow free movement across the border with Gaza, lift a sea blockade off the coast and allow flights to depart freely from the airport that they intend to rebuild.
Israel, on the other hand, wants assurances that weapons won't enter the Gaza Strip through such routes.
750 lightly armed Egyptian troops will shortly replace Israeli forces controlling the border with Egypt. The Egyptians will also train Palestinian security services.
Suleiman's arrival in Gaza comes a day after a Palestinian suicide bomber struck in the southern Israeli town of Beersheba, wounding 50.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
