GAZA/RAMALLAH, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Hamas Movement, said Tuesday that lifting the Israeli blockade on Gaza will not come as "prelude to division" between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as they are considered one political entity.
Speaking during the preach of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha at Al-Saraya plaza in Gaza, the Hamas chief said the siege on Gaza will be lifted without having to offer concessions, accepting the U.S. century deal or cutting off the West Bank from Gaza.
Haniyeh underlined that "confronting the occupation and the U.S. century deal comes only through real national unity, Arab and Islamic backing, and then with international understanding of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people."
Haniyeh said that the intra-Palestinian reconciliation issue has been discussed, stressing that his movement is "holding on to its position to achieve reconciliation through committing to the agreements signed in 2011 in Cairo, then forming a national unity government and a unifying National Palestinian Council."
The National Palestinian Council is considered the parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday urged Hamas movement to allow his government to work in Gaza, stressing that "it is ready to take up all its responsibilities in the Strip" to achieve national reconciliation.
Hamdallah told journalists after placing a wreath of flowers at the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat grave in West Bank city of Ramallah that "empowerment of the government doesn't mean that there is a judicial system in the West Bank and another one in Gaza Strip."
He said that reconciliation is "in response to the U.S. administration and occupation attempts to cut off Gaza Strip from the West Bank."
The prime minister warned Hamas of reaching a truce deal on its own with Israel on Gaza, and said "we are counting on the Palestinian people in Gaza to foil this scheme."
Egypt and the UN are mediating a long-term cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
Last week, three delegations representing Hamas, the left-wing Palestinian parties and senior employees in various ministries in the Gaza Strip headed to Cairo to resume talks, reportedly focusing on the cease-fire deal and the resumption of the national reconciliation deal.
Gaza Strip has been placed under a tight Israeli blockade since Hamas seized the territory after routing forces loyal to President Abbas in 2007.
The blockade has pushed Gaza's two million people deeper into poverty with unprecedented unemployment rate.
In the recent nine years, Israel and Hamas movement have been engaged in three major wars that claimed lives of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis.
