Osama Hamdan is on a 2-day trip to Gaza Senior Hamas official in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, has said his group is serious about reconciliation with Fatah. Speaking upon his arrival at the Rafah crossing on Sunday evening, Hamdan said that reconciliation efforts are \"going well,\" and denied that talks have hit a buffer.
The official is currently on his first visit to Gaza since deportation to Lebanon. At the crossing, he was greeted by Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh and several other Hamas officials including Fawzi Barhoum, Sami Abu Zuhri, representative of President Mahmoud Abbas, Fattuh Rohy, and a number of national figures.
Palestinian sources told Arabstoday that Hamdan\'s two-day visit is a show of defiance from the Hamas leadership who want to emphasise their natural right to visit Gaza Strip any time without restrictions, especially after the \"victory\" over Israel, through resistance.
Hamdan is an experienced Hamas official. He was born in Gaza in 1965 to a refugee family, who were forced to flee in 1967. He completed his studies in Kuwait and Jordan, before being chosen to represent Hamas in Iran and then Beirut. He was Hamas spokesman in the Cairo dialogue between Palestinian factions in 2004.
The 47-year old also participated in the most recent dialogue between Hamas and European officials. He is a member of the Arab National Congress, the Islamic Conference, and The Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Foundation.