Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday reiterated the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)'s resolve to take control of the crossings, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.

Upon his arrival in Cairo, Abbas told reporters that the Palestinian Authority is resolved to take control of the crossings to serve the interests of the Palestinians.

However, Hamas's refusal to hand over control of the crossings to the PNA means that the group doesn't want to serve the Palestinians' interests, Abbas was quoted by MENA as saying.

Abbas was scheduled to hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other top officials on Wednesday to tackle the situation and the developments on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, as well as the implementation of Rafah crossing operation agreement signed in November 2005.

The US-brokered deal allows the Rafah terminal to run with Palestinian Presidential Guard controlling the Palestinian side of the crossing while EU monitors acting as a third party.

Palestinian Ambassador in Cairo Munzer al-Dajani on Tuesday warned of the Israeli plots to evacuate Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to Sinai, Egypt, noting that the Egyptian and Palestinian leadership would take decisive measures to foil such Israeli plots.

A Hamas delegation, including its leader Khaled Meshaal and Mahmoud al-Zahar, is also expected to arrive in Cairo on Wednesday to hold talks with Egyptian officials.

Hamas rejected the 2005 deal and demanded new arrangements excluding monitors and reopening the borders as a pure Egyptian-Palestinian passage.

EU monitors withdrew from Rafah crossing last June when Hamas routed Abbas' security forces from the Gaza Strip and took control of the coastal enclave.

Israel imposes a strict closure on Gaza since Hamas began ruling the enclave and tightened the blockade on January 17 after Gaza militants stepped up rocket attacks on southern Israel.

On January 23, Hamas blew up the fences at Rafah crossing, allowing hundreds of thousands of Gazans to enter the Egyptian side to stock up foods, fuel and other basic needs.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2008)