Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group's weapons, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.
Abbas' comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline Hamas and enable Abbas' Palestinian Authority government to return to Gaza.
Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from forces loyal to Abbas in a violent takeover in 2007.
Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm.
The comments come as tensions rise on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass riots to try to break the Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.
Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement that he had informed Egypt of his demands and was waiting to hear back.
