Palestinian youths at a graduation ceremony for a military-style camp organized by the Hamas terror group in Gaza, Aug. 18, 2017. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90.

JNS.org – A delegation of senior Hamas officials arrived in Iran Friday on a mission to improve ties between the Palestinian terror group and the Islamic Republic.

According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the Hamas officials “will discuss the latest developments on the Palestinian arena, especially the reconciliation file and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as bilateral relations.”

The delegation is headed by Saleh al-Arouri, who heads Hamas’s terror activity in the disputed territories.

The visit comes amid the terror group’s reconciliation agreement with its Palestinian rival, Fatah. As a result of the deal, the Palestinians are set to form a unity government by Dec. 1. Both the US and Israel have called on Hamas to disarm, recognize Israel and cut off ties with Iran as prerequisites for future negotiations with the Palestinian unity government.

But Hamas’s Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, said Thursday, “The discussion is no longer about recognizing Israel but about wiping Israel out.”

Sinwar also said anyone who thinks Hamas would sever ties with Iran is “delusional.”

“Our relationship with Iran or Egypt or any Arab or Muslim state provides us with strategic depth,” the terror chief said.