Exiled Hamas leaders have returned to the Gaza Strip for talks on whether to end four months of conflict with Israel and accept a ceasefire proposed by mediators from Egypt and the United Nations.
Salah Al Arouri, the Turkey-based deputy head of the group that rules Gaza, and Mussa Abu Marzuk, another senior leader, crossed from Egypt into Gaza for three days of talks with other Hamas leaders, said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and European Union, while Mr Al Arouri is a founder of the Hamas military wing and is wanted by Israel.
The Hamas website Safa said on Friday that this marked the first time all members of the political bureau have gathered in Gaza.
Hamas officials have said guarantees were given that the delegation, which arrived late on Thursday, would not be targeted by Israel and that progress has been made toward a truce that could pave the way for a UN-led reconstruction of Gaza.
The arrival of the Hamas leadership follows a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at curtailing the violence between Palestinians in Gaza and Israel, while also trying to end the 11-year-old schism between Hamas and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.
Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special co-ordinator for Middle East peace efforts, has over the past two weeks been shuttling among Cairo, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza to sell the ceasefire. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sent Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr to Gaza for the talks.