Hanan Ashrawi, the head of the PLO's culture and media department, told the Voice of Palestine radio that Hamas "is trying to open dialogue with the United States and European countries by several means in order to gain legitimacy and the recognition of the United States. "

Ashrawi pointed out that the PLO recognizes Hamas as part of the general Palestinian political system. "Hamas should behave like part of the Palestinian system as a whole and not as an alternative to the PLO," she added.

According to Ashrawi, the Palestinian people "do not de-legitimize Hamas, yet Hamas behavior turned the international positions against it."

On Sunday, the deposed Hamas government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said it had sent a letter to the US administration, requesting dialogue with Washington, supporting two-state solution and asking Americans to allow reconciliation with Fatah.

The government said in statement that it urged the US "to open a mutual dialogue and end the double standards the US administration uses in dealing with the Palestinian cause." The movement said that the letter was relayed to officials in Washington through American political figures and academics who visited Gaza.

The letter also demanded that the Obama administration "lift its veto on Palestinian reconciliation." Hamas accuses Washington of pressuring President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement not to reconcile with Hamas, though Fatah had accepted an Egyptian plan to bury the hatchet with the rival Hamas movement.

Lifting the US veto on the inter-Palestinian reconciliation "would facilitate achieving it and ending the US double standard in dealing with the Palestinian cause,” adding the Hamas government doesn't oppose the idea of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

"We reject the bribery offered by the US Middle East envoy George Mitchell to the Palestinians for resuming the negotiations, mainly easing the siege, lifting some roadblocks and releasing some prisoners in Israeli jails. These are existing rights that were confiscated by Israel," said the statement.

The Hamas government also warned of what it termed as "unofficial channels of negotiations, which may surprise the Palestinian people with a new treaty similar to Oslo Agreement," adding "we have expressed our clear stance that we are against the direct and indirect peace negotiations."

The Palestinian and Israeli leaderships met in Washington on Sept. 2, during the direct talks, the two sides discussed the permanent status issues, mainly settlement, borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees, water and prisoners.

After that, two rounds of talks, which were also sponsored by the United States, have been held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh and Jerusalem respectively. The talks so far have not led to any progress due to the two sides' differences over the settlement issue in the West Bank.