Hamas is giving al Qaeda foothold in Gaza: Abbas

ROME (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas is protecting al Qaeda and allowing it to gain a foothold in Gaza.

Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip last month after routing forces loyal to the secular Abbas, has been criticized by al Qaeda's number second in command, Ayman al-Zawahri, who had accused it of serving U.S. interests.

"Through Hamas, al Qaeda is entering the Gaza Strip," Abbas told Italian state television channel RAI in an interview in the West Bank city of Ramallah ahead of a meeting on Tuesday with visiting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Abbas sacked a Hamas-led government and formed his own emergency administration based in the West Bank after his forces were forces to quit Gaza following a week of fighting.

"It is Hamas that is protecting al Qaeda, and through its bloody behavior Hamas has become very close to al Qaeda," he told RAI. "That is why Gaza is in danger and needs help."

He pledged that his secular political faction Fatah "will never have any dialogue with Hamas."

The Army of Islam, a shadowy clan-based group which held BBC journalist Alan Johnston for 114 days, is believed to be inspired by al Qaeda but there are no known direct links between them.

Zawahri last month urged all Muslims to support Hamas in its battles with Abbas and Israel, despite the differences with Hamas.

"We must today support the mujahideen of Palestine, including the mujahideen of Hamas, despite all the mistakes of their government," al-Zawahri said in an audio tape released on June 25.