The Palestinian mainstream Fatah movement slammed on Sunday recent criticism by Islamic Hamas' leaders against Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

In a leaflet, Fatah accused Hamas of mounting unjustified verbal assaults on Fatah and Abbas in press interviews during the past few days.

The movement, forming the backbone of the Palestinian National Authority, criticized Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar for describing Abbas as a "weak man" and saying in public that Hamas no more trusted Abbas as Palestinian president.

Abbas is the legally elected president and describing Abbas as weak is unaccepted to Fatah and all the Palestinian people, Fatah said.

"The ongoing assaults on Fatah and accusing it of corruption means forgetting Fatah's years of struggle with its thousands of martyrs," it went on.

Fatah also called upon Hamas to follow the steps of its late leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin whom Fatah praised for protecting the national unity.

Fatah and Hamas have been at odds over disputes on recent local election results and the date of the coming parliamentary race.

Hamas, spearheading over four years of armed resistance against Israel, has grown into the largest Palestinian Islamic militant group with huge street popularity. Having outperformed Fatah in local elections, Hamas is posing a grave challenge to Fatah.

Source: Xinhua