Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday called for healing the Palestinian rift and achieving reconciliation.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday called for healing the Palestinian rift and achieving reconciliation.

Speaking at a meeting with a Fatah-led delegation, Haniyeh accused the United States and the Zionist entity of seeking to undermine the Palestinian cause.

"It has become imperative now to end divisions to abort U.S. and Israeli schemes," he said, going on to call for implementing signed agreements between rival Hamas and Fatah regarding the inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

"We will not allow the Israeli army to be happy with our divisions," Haniyeh said. "We must have one leadership, one government and on political decision."

Fatah member Azzam al-Ahmad, for his part, said that "It is time to end divisions".

"Fatah supports Palestinian unity whether peace talks with Israel succeeded or failed," he added.

The delegation arrived in the Gaza Strip from Ramallah earlier Tuesday to discuss possible means of achieving reconciliation with Hamas officials.

Tension has been high between Hamas – which governs the Gaza Strip – and Fatah – which holds the Palestinian Authority – since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the entire strip.