Mr Abbas - the Palestinian president - and his arch rival who heads the Hamas' politburo - the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip - met for the first time in 15 years.

The two leaders were invited by Mr Tebboune to attend his country's 60th independence day celebrations

Algeria is a major supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Footage broadcast by Algerian television channels showed President Tebboune getting his Palestinian counterpart and Mr Haniya to shake hands, after which Hamas delegation members embrace Mr Abbas.

It is not clear whether he held talks with Mr Haniya.

President Abbas presented Mr Tebboune with a Palestinian stamp commemorating Algeria's 60th independence day, along with a map showing a Ramallah street recently named "Algeria".

Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections but a year later the two men fell out and Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in a bloody civil war.

No Palestinian election has been held since, primarily because of the internal divisions.