Special report: Internal situation in Palestine     

    GAZA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for Islamic Resistance Movement(Hamas) in the Gaza Strip Tuesday accused the daily arrests of its activists in the West Bank by security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel, who termed the arrests as "an implementation" of the first phase of the Road Map peace plan.

    In a statement, Fawzi Barhoum also condemned security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of coordinating the arrests of Hamas members throughout the West Bank with Israel.

    "Abbas security forces coordinate with the Israeli occupation in every campaign of arrests in the West Bank. The last was the arrest of two senior Hamas leaders and 14 more members," said Barhoum.

    Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip by force in mid June, Abbas security forces have been conducting arrests of Hamas members in the West Bank, from both political and military wings.

    Hamas said that the Palestinian security forces nabbed on Tuesday ten Hamas members in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Tulkarem. It called for an immediate stop of arrests against Hamas.

    On Monday, Abbas expressed readiness to implement the first phase of the Road Map peace plan by restoring security in the Palestinian territories, but said "Israel from its part is asked to implement the first phase of the plan."

    Abbas' statements were made in a joint news conference held in Ramallah on Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

    The first phase of the Road Map calls on the Palestinians to crack down on militants while demands that Israel halt Jewish settlement activity and uproot illegal outposts.