The exiled leader of the Islamist Hamas movement has told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he backs Abbas' bid to gain non-member status at the United Nations, Abbas' office said Monday, dpa reported.
Hamas - whose leaders have previous opposed the UN bid, since it implies indirect recognition of Israel - confirmed that Khaled Mashaal has telephoned Abbas to express support.
Abbas is planning to ask the UN on Thursday to back a resolution that would upgrade the Palestinian status at the world body from that of observer to non-member state, able to join all UN bodies, but without voting rights.
Abbas' office said Mashaal stressed to the Palestinian president that the UN bid should be done within "a national and strategic vision that safeguards the national rights."
The Hamas leader, who recently relocated his office from Damascus to Qatar, called on Abbas to speed up efforts to reach national reconciliation "taking advantage of the positive atmosphere following the victory of our people in Gaza."
Israel earlier this month waged an eight-day air offensive against Hamas and other Gazan armed groups, which ended with a ceasefire brokered by Egypt. Hamas considered the ceasefire a victory.
Some 170 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli airstrikes, while six Israelis were killed in the rocket attacks by Hamas on Israeli towns.