Hamas: no Palestinian elections without Gaza

Haniya: holding elections in West Bank without Gaza would be 'political and national crime'.

GAZA CITY - The prime minister of the Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday warned against holding Palestinian elections in the West Bank and not Gaza, saying it would be a "national crime."

Hamas and Mahmud Abbas' Fatah party have for months been struggling to reach a national unity agreement to pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections early next year.

But several rounds of Egyptian-brokered talks since the start of the year have shown little sign of progress, putting the vote in doubt.

"If Ramallah holds elections in the West Bank and not in Gaza it would be a political and national crime," Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya told reporters in Gaza, referring to Abbas' West Bank government.

"I hope no one would head to such an election, because it would have difficult consequences for Palestinian unity and the internal divisions."

He added that "elections are part of the national agreement and not outside of it," referring to a future pact that would unite the two main Palestinian movements.

The two sides have said they hope to meet in Egypt again later this month, but several previous rounds of talks have been delayed.

Hamas had won parliamentary elections in 2006 but US and Israeli pressure forced Fatah to stop cooperating with the democratically elected resistance movement.