GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Russia has renewed its political efforts to bring Palestinian factions closer to internal reconciliation and to create a united Palestinian stance against US President Donald Trump’s Mideast peace plan.

Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh announced at a March 4 press conference in Moscow that Hamas presented four proposals for internal Palestinian reconciliation: forming a national unity government, holding comprehensive Palestinian elections, holding a Palestinian National Council meeting outside of Ramallah so that all Palestinian factions can participate and holding a meeting for the factions' secretaries-general.

Haniyeh said that any of the proposals could achieve internal reconciliation and that Hamas will agree to any option Fatah chooses. He said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed the proposals and expressed Moscow’s readiness to host the Palestinian factions’ meeting.

Lavrov met March 2 with a delegation led by Haniyeh. The Islamic Jihad announced later that day that the Russian Foreign Ministry has invited Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziad Nakhala to visit Moscow. Lavrov had met Feb. 27 in Moscow with Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee.