Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas leader on Wednesday blamed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the continuing closure of a key border crossing point into the Gaza Strip.

    Gaza ruler Hamas "has worked hard to open Rafah crossing but President Abbas was the obstacle in this case," said Mahmoud Zahar, foreign minister in the deposed Hamas unity government.

    "He uses the Americans and the Israelis to pressure the Egyptian side to prevent the opening of the crossing," Zahar added.

    The crossing between Gaza and Egypt was closed last year when Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and took over the enclave. According to a U.S.-brokered deal in 2005, Rafah can not be opened without the presence of pro-Abbas forces and European Union (EU) monitors.

    Hamas said it does not mind that the EU monitors return to the crossing "without Israeli interference in their work."

    Zahar implicitly accused Abbas of blocking the efforts to resume inter-Palestinian dialogue. "We are bored with the call for the dialogue and I wonder who rejects the unity?"

    Last month, Abbas called for dialogue with Hamas nearly one year after he banned any contact between his Fatah movement and Hamas. The Islamic movement welcomed the call but Zahar said "Abbas has to make a brave decision to start the dialogue."