Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, a Gaza-based Hamas leader, told the Voice of Palestine Radio that “Egypt and Hamas are convinced that President Mahmoud Abbas is not serious in implementing the reconciliation deal.”

Al-Zahhar added that Abbas’ proposal to hold general elections in order to end the internal split “is not a solution to the crisis.”

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the PLO’s Executive Committee Yasser Abd Rabbo denounced Al-Zahhar’s remarks saying he “has no right to be a spokesman for Egypt.” He challenged Hamas to fix a meeting with Abbas in Egypt to expedite the implementation of the reconciliation deal.

In May, Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation deal in Cairo to end around four years of internal division.  “There are no genuine indications about Hamas’ desire to reach reconciliation”, Abd Rabbo told the Voice of Palestine Radio in response.

The development comes a day after Palestinian media reports quoted Abbas as saying that he will discuss with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in their upcoming meeting the idea of holding elections as soon as possible to end the split.

Azzam Al-Ahmed, a member of the Fatah Central Committee denied the reports saying: “This is just a proposal.”

Al-Ahmed said that delegations from Fatah and Hamas would hold two meeting to discuss the procedures of implementing the deal and Abbas’ proposal.

The elections were due in January 2010, but they were postponed by the PLO’s Central Council until further notice after Hamas said it would not allow voting in Gaza Strip unless differences with Abbas were settled and a reconciliation agreement was reached.