An Islamic Hamas movement delegation from Gaza and Damascus is due to arrive in Cairo later on Sunday to resume talks with senior Egyptian officials on reaching a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Hamas sources in Gaza said the talks in Cairo between Hamas leaders and Egyptian officials would focus on reaching a ceasefire with Israel and reopening Gaza Strip crossings with Israel and Rafah with Egypt.

The sources said that Hamas leaders Salah el-Bardaweel and Jamal Abu Hashem from Gaza, and Imad el-Alami and Mohamed Nasser from Damascus will arrive in Cairo on Sunday evening.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, who is from Gaza, but currently in Syria said in a statement that his movement rejects a ceasefire with Israel without a complete and permanent opening of Gaza Strip border crossings.

The sources, who spoke in condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Hamas delegation is bringing to Egypt an answer to an earlier proposal to agree on a one-and-a-half-year ceasefire with Israel.

The sources said that Hamas will be more flexible and really wants to reach a lone-term ceasefire that ends the Gaza Strip population suffering, ending the blockade and reopening all Gaza Strip border crossings.

The arrival of Hamas delegation to Cairo, coincides with talks that President Mahmoud Abbas holds with the Egyptian leaders. Abbas cancelled a scheduled visit to Czech Republic and headed suddenly for talks in Egypt.

Egypt expects that the Palestinian factions would declare a one-and-a-half-year truce with Israel on February 5, after it would end its talks with Hamas leadership and leaders of other Palestinian factions.