A senior member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Wednesday called on the leader to reconcile with rival Islamic Hamas movement, reported Xinhua.
"As a president for all Palestinians, Abbas should draw up a complete plan to end the schism with Hamas and talk directly to Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal," said Mohammed al-Hurrani, a Fatah member based in West Bank.
"This is very important to clarify things regarding the reconciliation; if Hamas was ready, then it is most welcome, but if it was on the contrary, its stance must be exposed," he added.
Abbas bans any direct contact between his Fatah movement and Hamas since June 2007 when the Islamic movement routed his forces and seized control of the Gaza Strip.
Last month, Hamas thwarted an Egyptian initiative to hold an inter-Palestinian dialogue, saying it can sit with Fatah while the security services it backs clamp down against Hamas supporters in the West Bank.
But al-Hurrani said the dialogue must be held as soon as possible. "As long as the split goes on, the gap between us and Hamas widens,the dialogue can at least stop some of the deterioration."
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip became politically separated from the West Bank with Hamas prepares to announce a successor when Abbas' term as a president expires in January 2009.