GAZA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement will determine whether to participate in Egyptian-hosted national Palestinian dialogue later on Saturday, a Hamas spokesman said.

    Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the decision of the participation will be subject to pro-Abbas forces's halting crackdown on Hamas supporters in the West Bank.

    "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be responsible for any failure of the dialogue because it is clear he is leading a massacre against Hamas in the West Bank," Barhoum added.

    The dialogue aims at reconciling Hamas and Fatah and ending the political split between Gaza and the West Bank which widened after Hamas' violent seizure of the coastal Strip last year.

    Hamas threatened to boycott the dialogue due to the continuation of Fatah clampdown. Hamas argues it has released 17 Fatah prisoners from its jails in Gaza, while pro-Abbas forces stepped up the crackdown against Hamas supporters in the West Bank. But this week, Hamas again arrested tens of Fatah activists for their political affiliation.

    However, reports said that Hamas is also considering the boycott of the dialogue because Egypt, which drafted the agenda of the dialogue, rejected to consider Hamas' reservations.

    Hamas has numerous reservations on the paper, saying it gives its rival Fatah more authorization and neglects Hamas' victory of 2006 parliamentary elections by calling for holding early elections.