Special report: Internal situation in Palestine 　

President Mahmoud Abbas attends Friday prayers at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Nov. 2, 2007. Abbas has renewed his rejection to dialogue with Hamas before the Islamic movement returns the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    RAMALLAH, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has renewed his rejection to dialogue with Hamas before the Islamic movement returns the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), an aide to Abbas said on Saturday.

    Abbas' renewed the rejection despite some positive signals emerging in the West Bank on Friday, when four Hamas leaders based in the West Bank were present at the Friday prayer alongside President Abbas.

    "The four Hamas leaders prayed behind President Abbas in Ramallah to express their rejection to the statements of the movement's leaders in Gaza threatening to carry out a coup in the West Bank," said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, Abbas' aide and Fatah spokesman.

    Though the meeting was unofficial, it was the first occasion where Abbas sits with leaders of Hamas since the Islamic movement took control of Gaza Strip by force in June.

    Following the meeting, Hamas spokesman in Gaza Ayman Taha said its movement "looks positively to Friday meeting and hopes it can be the beginning of a new relationship based on bridging the gaps and boosting the internal front."

    However, Fatah seems to be less positive than Hamas was.

    Fehmi al-Za'arreir, another Fatah spokesman, said that "the positive signals by Hamas men in the West Bank are incomplete unless they frankly condemn Hamas' coup in Gaza."

    "Hamas in the West Bank is not a third party or neutral side...there is no difference between Hamas in Gaza and Hamas in West Bank," he added.