The White House welcomed on Saturday a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for fresh elections, expressing hopes that it will bring factional violence to an end and pave the way for resumption of Mideast peace process.

"While the elections are an internal matter, we hope this helps bring the violence to an end and the formation of a Palestinian Authority committed to the Quartet principles," White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said.

Abbas announced earlier in the day that he had decided to hold early preliminary and presidential elections in spite of great opposition from the ruling Hamas movement.

Hamas, officially named Islamic Resistance Movement, accused Abbas of launching a coup against its administration and said Abbas has no right to call for new elections.

Abbas blamed early this month the Islamic Hamas group for the collapse of talks to form a Palestinian unity government.

The Bush administration has been offering supports to Abbas' effort toward the settlement of Palestinian-Israeli conflict under the principles of the Middle East Quartet consisting of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.

Source: Xinhua