国际英语新闻：Hamas team from Gaza arrives in Egypt for ceasefire talks

 CAIRO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement arrived in Egypt on Friday night for talks with Egyptian mediators on a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

    The team, grouping three Hamas leaders, Ayman Taha, Jamal Abu Hashim and Salah el-Bardawil, crossed into Egypt via Rafah border crossing at the Egyptian-Gaza border, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.

Smoke caused by Israeli military operations is seen over Gaza City, Jan. 9, 2009.

    According to earlier reports, two other Hamas leaders Mohamed Nasser and Imad el-Alami coming from Syria would also arrive in Cairo on Friday night to join the Gaza team for talks with Egyptian officials on Saturday.

    The Saturday talks will be the first meeting between Egyptian mediators and Hamas representatives from Gaza since the Palestinian enclave started being under intensive Israeli attacks on Dec. 27, 2008.

    On Tuesday, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman held talks with a Hamas delegation from Syria on means of halting the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

    The Israeli army has been carrying out continuous military air and ground operations for 14 days on Friday, during which 801 Palestinians have been reportedly killed and 3,300 others were injured.

An Israeli soldier covers his ears after firing a mortar mounted on an armoured personal carrier (APC) towards Gaza from its position outside the northern Gaza Strip January 9, 2009.