Hamas parliamentary bloc yesterday welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' stance towards the Israeli declaration of Gaza Strip as an "enemy entity."

"Abbas' rejection of the (Israeli) decision was a good step in the right direction to reinforce the unity and the return to the right way," a statement by Hamas lawmaker said.

The statement urged Abbas to boost his rejection by taking more steps, including halting security liaison between the Israeli army and Abbas forces in the West Bank and suspending meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

On Wednesday, Israel declared the Hamas-run Gaza Strip a hostile entity, owing to the continuation of attacks by home-made rockets on Israeli communities near Gaza.

Hamas seized control of the territory in June after fierce fighting with Abbas' forces and his Fatah movement, which Abbas labeled as a coup.

Following the takeover, Abbas fired the Hamas-led coalition and appointed the Western-backed economist Salam Fayyad to form a new government.

Hamas lawmakers have also called on Abbas to resume the internal dialogue without conditions and urged Abbas to withdraw all his decrees he issued after what he considered a coup.