GAZA CITY, Palestine

A delegation from Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) arrived in the blockaded Gaza Strip on Monday for talks with Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, which has governed the enclave since 2007.

The delegation, which is reportedly being led by Major-General Ahmed Abdel-Khaliq, GIS director for Palestine affairs, arrived in the Gaza Strip via the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, a Palestinian source at the crossing told Anadolu Agency.

For the past week, Egyptian officials have engaged in intensive shuttle diplomacy between the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and Israel.

The stepped-up diplomatic efforts are aimed at hammering out a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza-based resistance factions, led by Hamas.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat