A reliable source in Egypt claims that the elected Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, has left Gaza for a second international tour, starting with a visit to Doha to meet the Amir of Qatar. Mr. Haniyeh left Gaza via Rafah before flying in a Qatari-owned jet from El-Arish Airport in northern Sinai on Monday, 30 January.

The source spoke to Quds Press on condition of anonymity and said that the Prime Minister's tour will include Qatar, Iran and a number of Arab capitals. The main discussion point will be the ending of the siege imposed on Gaza since 2006. This is Mr. Haniyeh's second overseas tour in the space of a few weeks. He visited Egypt, Sudan, Turkey and Tunisia last month, and was well-received at the official and popular levels.

Before leaving for El-Arish, the Prime Minister spoke at the Unity and Reconciliation meeting held in Gaza over the weekend, organised by the Coordination Council for Private Sector Institutes and the Palestinian Businessmens' Association. "There is political will in Qatar to rebuild Gaza," Mr. Haniyeh told the audience. A number of projects will be considered and taken forward, he added.