Hamas refutes reports saying talks with Egypt have failed

Senior Hamas officials said on Tuesday night that the talks held in Cairo for several days between the Islamic movement delegation and the Egyptian Security Intelligence chiefs has not failed.

Ismail Radawn, a Gaza-based Hamas leader, told reporters that the earlier reports which said that the Cairo talks had failed "are untrue," adding "the dialogue is serious and still going on."

"Hamas is keen to keep good ties with Egypt, and having a Hamas delegation in Cairo after a longtime break of ties is in itself an achievement and an important step to make positive results," said Radwan.

However, Salah El-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, told Xinhua that "until now, we have no information yet on the results of the dialogue that our delegation is holding with senior Egyptian officials."

"We hope that the delegation's mission succeeds and come up with positive results," he said, adding "all that had been published earlier in the media was just assumptions."

Earlier on Tuesday, a senior Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Bethlehem-based news website of Maan that Hamas delegation in Cairo failed to achieve its goals of reconciling with Egypt."

The official told the Palestinian news website that Hamas delegation hasn't brought any new in relation to a security cooperation with Egypt on the assassination of Egypt's Attorney General Hisham Barakat.

On Saturday, a high-ranking Hamas delegation left Gaza through Rafah Crossing point with Egypt for the first time since 2013 to hold talks with Egypt and defend Hamas position concerning Egypt's accusation against the movement.

Egypt accused Hamas militants for being involved directly and indirectly in training militants that carried out attacks against the Egyptian army in the Peninsula of Sinai.

Meanwhile, Khalil al-Hayya, one of Hamas delegation members from Gaza said in an emailed press statement that Hamas would never allow or let anything comes out from Gaza that could harm Egypt, its people and its national security.

"The meetings with security intelligence chiefs in Cairo discussed several in- common issues in an atmosphere of responsibility and transparency,' said al-Hayya, adding "We explained our commitment to security and stability in Egypt."

He went on saying that Hamas rejects to intervene into Egypt's internal affairs and refuse to harm its national security, adding that Egypt has been always standing with the Palestinians and their cause.

Since the beginning of the internal Palestinian division between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party in 2007, Egypt has been sponsoring the national dialogue to achieve an internal reconciliation.

Earlier on Tuesday, senior Hamas and Fatah officials announced that two delegations representing the two are to resume their dialogue on ending the split soon in Qatar.

Jamal Muheisen, a senior Fatah official told Xinhua that there are contacts held with Hamas movement "to set up a date for holding a new round of dialogue between the two sides to discuss achieving reconciliation."

"The meeting will be held in Doha most probably after Hamas delegation, which is holding talks in Cairo comes back to Gaza," said Muheisen, adding "Fatah delegation will head soon to Cairo and then to Qatar for the same purpose."

Yehya Musa, a senior Hamas official in Gaza, also said on Tuesday that the reconciliation dialogue with Fatah leaders will resume as soon as Hamas delegation finishes its dialogue held in Cairo with Egyptian security officials. Enditem