Hamas chief leaves Gaza after first visit: spokesman

Exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal left the Gaza Strip on Monday after a historic first visit to the tiny Palestinian enclave, a spokesman for the interior ministry said.

“Abu al-Walid (Meshaal) left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah terminal this afternoon after his historic visit,” Islam Shahwan told AFP, referring to the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border.

He had arrived in Gaza on Friday to join the celebrations marking 25 years since the founding of his Islamist movement, kissing the ground as he crossed into the tiny coastal strip for a four-day visit.

During the visit, he vowed never to give up even “an inch” of Palestinian territory or to recognize Israel, and called for reconciliation between Hamas and the rival Fatah movement which dominates the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

His visit came just over two weeks after an Egyptian-brokered truce ended an eight-day bloody confrontation with Israel which left 174 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.