Abbas puts off planned talks with Hamas in Gaza

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sep 25 (Reuters) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today put off talks with Hamas aimed at breaking a stalemate over forming a unity government, in a sign of deep internal divisions.

Abbas aides had said the president was expected to travel to Gaza tomorrow for talks with leaders of the ruling Hamas Islamist movement including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Later, a senior Abbas aide who declined to be identified told Reuters: ''Of course he is not going to Gaza. There is a problem with Hamas, they keep reneging on the agreements.'' One senior Hamas official said the group believed it had a deal with Abbas before he attended meetings at the United Nations last week, adding dialogue should resolve the impasse.

Negotiations on forming a unity cabinet that Palestinians hope will help to end a crippling Western aid embargo have foundered on whether the new government will recognise Israel.

Abbas wants a political platform honouring interim peace deals with the Jewish state, which he hopes will satisfy the West. Hamas has sought vague wording that would not contradict the group's charter calling for Israel's destruction.

The president has accused Hamas of reneging on an agreement reached earlier this month on the political programme for the unity government. Hamas has denied the allegation.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah confirmed Abbas would not be going to the Gaza Strip.

''The president is not going to Gaza in the near future because he's preoccupied with several appointments,'' Rdainah said, adding Abbas was still insisting the planned unity government abide by interim peace deals signed with Israel.

The Hamas official said it was time for more talks.

''We had reached an agreement with President Abbas before his New York trip on the outlines of the political agenda for the unity government and were surprised how things have gone back to point zero,'' said the official, who declined to be identified.

After Hamas took power in March, the West imposed its aid embargo to pressure the group to recognise Israel, renounce violence and abide by the interim peace deals.

Hamas, which defeated Abbas's Fatah movement in January elections, has insisted it would never recognise Israel.

Abbas aides earlier said the president wanted to hear from Hamas this week if they had ideas on how to resolve the row.

One said Abbas did not believe in sacking Haniyeh and declaring a state of emergency -- which some in Fatah have urged -- because this could lead to violence.

In another blow for Hamas, an Israeli military court in the occupied West Bank reversed a decision to release on bail a group of the movement's legislators, ordering them held in detention until the end of judicial proceedings against them.

The 21 Hamas legislators and cabinet ministers were arrested after militants abducted an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid from Gaza in June. There had been widespread speculation they could be released as part of a future prisoner exchange.

Earlier this month, a military court ordered the men to be released on bail and the military prosecution appealed.

Defence lawyers said the detainees had exhausted all their appeals.

REUTERS MQA PM2021