国际英语新闻:Hamas delegation in Cairo for Gaza truce talks

CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian mediators on a possible cease- fire in Gaza, official news agency MENA reported.

The 6-member delegation is led by senior Hamas official Ezzat al-Rishq, and they came to Egypt after a short visit to Qatar, the report said.

In mid-July, Egypt proposed an initiative for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. The initiative has been rejected by Hamas which demanded a comprehensive solution and an end to Israel 's six-year-long blockade of the enclave.

Egypt had invited Israeli and Palestinian sides for talks in Cairo on the proposed plan.

Another five top Palestinian officials in the delegation including members from the People Party, the Democratic Front, the People Front and Magid Farag, head of the Palestinian intelligence, state-run Ahram newspaper reported on its website.

Israel said it will not send anyone to the talks, accusing the Palestinian Islamists of misleading international mediators and breaching the previous cease-fire agreements.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and former British prime minister and the Middle East Quartet's peace envoy Tony Blair have also flown to Cairo for the negotiations, MENA said.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday an Egyptian truce plan provided a "real chance" to end the Gaza conflict, and urged all parties to implement it.

The Israeli offensive on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, which started on July 8, has left about 1,700 Palestinians dead and about 8,600 injured so far. On the other hand, Hamas attacks killed more than 50 Israelis during the ongoing conflict according to Israeli reports.