45 years on, Hamas chief visits Gaza

GAZA: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal arrived in the Gaza Strip on Friday, ending 45 years of exile from Palestinian land with a visit that underscored the Islamist group’s growing confidence following a recent conflict with Israel.
After passing through the Egyptian border crossing, Meshaal knelt on the ground to offer a prayer of thanks and was then greeted by dozens of officials from an array of competing Palestinian factions lined up to meet him in warm December sun.
The 56-year-old Meshaal left West Bank as a young boy in 1967 and, before Friday, had never set foot in Gaza
Shortly after his arrival Meshaal said he hoped to become a “a martyr” in the Palestinian territory. “I hope God will make me a martyr on the land of Palestine.”
Meshaal will attend a mass rally on Saturday that has been billed as both a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas and a “victory” celebration following the November fighting.