GAZA CITY, Palestine

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh has received an official invitation to visit Algeria for talks on inter-Palestinian dialogue, the group said on Saturday.

Last month, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune unveiled plans to host a meeting for Palestinian factions.

“Haniyeh will discuss in Algeria ways of rendering the Palestinian national dialogue successful,” Hamas said in a statement.

Haniyeh has selected senior group members Khalil Al-Hayya and Hussam Badran to visit Algeria next week, according to the statement.

A political and geographical division has prevailed in the Palestinian territories since 2007 since Hamas won legislative elections a year earlier.

President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement has since ruled the West Bank, while Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. Many efforts have failed to end the rift between the two rival movements.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar