A senior official in Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' bureau met with Israeli officials several days ago to express the concern that Israel was going behind Abbas' back in an effort to reach a deal with Hamas regarding the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian official wanted to know the meaning of the meeting between Ofer Dekel, the Israeli official responsible for issues relating to captive soldiers, and senior Hamas officials jailed in Israel.

"It looks like you're making a deal with Hamas," the Palestinian official said.

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The Israelis participating in the meeting assured him that the meeting was related solely to the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted near the Gaza border in June 2006.

"Contact regarding Shalit is understandable, but we hope there is no other contact and that you don't close some deal with them over the Strip," the Palestinian official is reported to have said.

Indicating that the suspicion is mutual, the Israeli officials said they were concerned that Abbas would reestablish a national unity government with Hamas. The Palestinian official dismissed the possibility and said, "Abu Mazen [Abbas] plans to wage all-out war on Hamas."