Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya attends a cabinet meeting at his office in Gaza Dec. 17, 2006. Haneya rejected on Sunday President Mahmoud Abbas' call for early presidential and legislative elections in the Palestinian territories.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

GAZA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya rejected on Sunday President Mahmoud Abbas' call for early presidential and legislative elections in the Palestinian territories.

    At a meeting of his Hamas-led cabinet in Gaza, Haneya said the Palestinian government rejects "the call for holding early legislative elections because it is not a constitutional call."

    "Holding early elections is not constitutional and would lead to a wide popular confusion in the Palestinian area," Haneya said.

    Haneya also slammed Abbas' Saturday speech made at the West Bank city of Ramallah, saying "such a speech can never unify, (as)it is a provocative speech that ridicules the Palestinian resistance."

    "The government hoped to listen to a speech that unifies the Palestinians and not to provoke them," said Haneya, adding that "the Palestinian government is determined to impose law and discipline to protect citizens and achieve security."

    He also called on Abbas to issue clear instructions to his presidential guards to stop targeting defenseless residents, "because no one accepts to target the lives of innocent residents."

    Palestinian security sources said that Hamas militants attacked earlier on Sunday a compound belongs to Abbas' Presidential guards,and wounded four guards. The Hamas militants also burned their tents and equipment.

    The ongoing armed clashes between the supporters of rival Hamas and Fatah movements have left one 19-year-old female student dead and more than 12 wounded all over the Gaza Strip.