The Islamic Hamas movement said that President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces on Sunday detained 18 of its members in different West Bank areas.

The movement said in a statement that militants belonging to Abbas security forces and Fatah movement stormed several West Bank towns and cities and detained 18 people.

"Abbas forces detained nine Hamas members in the city of Tulkarem, five in Nablus, and four in Salfit in northern West Bank, " Hamas said in a leaflet, calling on Abbas to stop arrests of Hamas members and leaders in the West Bank.

Hamas movement said that the security forces of president Mahmoud Abbas had detained more than 200 Hamas leaders and members in several West Bank areas.

Meanwhile, Fatah movement's spokesman in the West Bank Ahmed Abdel Rahman rejected on Sunday an earlier call for dialogue made by Ismail Haneya, prime minister of the national unity government dissolved last week by Abbas.

Haneya earlier called on Abbas and Fatah movement for an unconditioned renewal of national dialogue "regardless of who won and who lost", after Hamas had militarily taken over the Gaza Strip security headquarters.

"There is no possibility to renew that national dialogue with coup seekers who are rejecting to change the situation and refuse early elections," said Abdel Rahman.

Source: Xinhua