Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi promised to exert more efforts to lift a blockade on the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas, a Hamas official said Thursday.

The promise was made during a meeting between Morsi and a delegation from Hamas in Cairo Thursday, according to the official, Ayman Taha.

It is the first time that an Egyptian president has sat with Hamas, the Islamic movement that took over Gaza after routing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.

Hamas has been an offshoot to the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which Morsi is affiliated to.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak supported Israel's blockade on Gaza by keeping Rafah crossing point between Egypt and Gaza closed most of the time.

The Egyptian president also said he will work hard to resolve Gaza's electricity and fuel crisis, Taha said.

Morsi, who met Abbas a day earlier in Cairo, urged Hamas to accomplish the reconciliation with Abbas' Fatah party.