Egypt has informed the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip that new measures are taken to ease the movement of Palestinians via Egyptian airports and crossing points, a Hamas official announced Monday.

Under the new procedures, Palestinians in other countries and regions can enter Egypt without having to obtain visa from the Egyptian embassies, and men under 40 years old won't be shuttled under security control from the airport to Gaza borders, said Maher Abu Sabha, director of crossing points in the Hamas government.

The number of Gazans on the Egyptian blacklists was reduced and Palestinians who do not have a Palestinian I.D. can visit their relatives in Gaza without having to make special arrangements in advance, he added.

"This is a step in the right direction to achieve the hopes of the Palestinian people," Abu Sabha said, adding that the Palestinians want Rafah crossing point to open round the clock.

The Egyptian decision came days after a Hamas delegation met with new Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to congratulate him.

Hamas is an offshoot of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. In 2007, Hamas routed forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and took over Gaza.

The former Egyptian regime kept Rafah crossing closed most of the time, opening it for two or three days a month for humanitarian cases. The restrictions were aimed at isolating Hamas.