Victory for extreme right in Israel a setback to peace: Hamas

Hamas' de facto Prime Minister in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh made the remarks while addressing a joint press conference with his Malaysian premier Najib Razak, who is visiting the coastal enclave for the first time.

"The trend of the Israeli elections suggests a move from an extremist government to a more extreme government... This requires us as Palestinians, and Arabs, and Muslims, to build a unified strategy to confront rising Zionist extremism," Haniyeh told reporters in Rafah.

Earlier, Najib entered via the Rafah crossing from Egypt along with his Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and others.

"We may come from thousands of miles away ... But we are one Umma (Muslim nation) and we believe in the struggle of the Palestinian people," Najib said.

He also praised renewed reconciliation efforts by Hamas and the rival Palestinian Fatah movement led by Mahmoud Abbas.

"We believe in this unity government and we pray to Allah that the talks will be successful and a united government will become a reality in the near future," Najib said.

Muslim-majority Malaysia, a staunch supporter of the Palestinians' aspirations to statehood, does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.

Meanwhile, senior member of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee in the West Bank Hanan Ashrawi predicted a bleak future for peace talks arguing "the elections in Israel will bring about an even more extreme right-wing government that will seek to destroy the possibility of peace, not only in the Israel-Palestinian arena, but in the entire region."

In an interview with Saudi newspaper Okaz, Ashrawi said, "We are preparing for the worst possible scenario in light of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's alliance with more radical figures."

Senior Palestinian official Mustafa Barghouti also expressed scepticism over the future of peace talks.

"The extreme Right's apparent victory proves that there is no basis for peace with Israel," Barghouti said.