Saleh al-Arouri, deputy chief of Hamas' political bureau, announced during an interview on Al-Aqsa satellite channel Feb. 22 that Egypt sent an invitation to Hamas to visit it to discuss several important issues. Arouri said that Egypt is Hamas’ second home and underlined the stability of relations between them.

This is the first time Egypt invites Hamas to visit since November 2019, when a Hamas delegation headed to Cairo to hold talks about the Palestinian reconciliation, the general elections and ways to alleviate the situation in the Gaza Strip. Relations between the two parties had been frosty following Ismail Haniyeh’s visit to Iran in January to offer his condolences following the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. The visit angered Egypt, because Haniyeh allegedly vowed not to visit Iran when Cairo allowed him to conduct his foreign tour.

Iyad al-Qarra, former editor-in-chief of the Gaza-based Felesteen newspaper, told Al-Monitor, “Egypt’s invitation to Hamas indicates that they have overcome the coldness in their relations. Despite their differences over Palestinian and regional developments, Hamas will secure the borders of Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, and Egypt will keep sponsoring relations with Israel. Egypt monitored Hamas’ behavior and disengagement in the recent Gaza escalation Feb. 23-24 between Israel and Islamic Jihad. This conduct showed how reasonable Hamas is and careful in handling the Gaza affairs alone, despite its urgent need for some parties like Qatar that would offer financial aid to the Gaza Strip while Egypt handles the security portfolio.”

On Feb. 10, an Egyptian security delegation headed by Ahmed Abdel Khalek, the Egyptian intelligence officer in charge of Cairo's Palestinian portfolio, arrived in Gaza for talks with Hamas about the truce with Israel and to discuss bilateral relations and the security situation on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders. This was the first Egyptian visit to Gaza in 2020, after ties were cut off for months. However, it was notable that Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar did not meet with the Egyptian delegation.