The Islamic Hamas movement has blamed US and Israel for the ongoing impasse between the Palestinian resistance movement and rival Fatah party.

"US intervention in the region, the issue of indirect talks, banning residents from receiving passports, and besieging them in Gaza" have made a unity deal between Fatah and Hamas "difficult now and in the near future," Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told Ma’an news agency on Wednesday.

The senior Hamas official said his Islamic movement was ready to sign a deal but said the "continued imposed policies on the ground" was stalling the reconciliation efforts.

Radwan said Hamas was also prepared to allow for an independent factional committee to look into Fatah’s allegations that the Gaza-based government was holding political prisoners.

He called on the Fatah leadership in the West Bank to "move to stop the blackmailing policy practices in the West Bank, rather than stopping the receipt of passports and tightening restrictions on Gaza."

"Fatah should also stop its policy of chasing Hamas leaders and put an end to its open cooperation with Israel security."

On Monday, Fatah accused Gaza security forces of restricting the movement of Revolutionary Council members and of barring them from traveling to a party meeting in the West Bank.

Divisions between the two factions culminated in Fatah’s coup attempt against the democratically elected Hamas government.

This forced Hamas to limit its rule to the Gaza Strip despite its sweeping victory in the 2006 elections, while Fatah formed its own government in the West Bank.

(Press TV)