Abbas calls for Hamas's ouster as Gaza's ruler

By Ali Sawafta

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday the Gaza Strip's Hamas Islamist rulers must be brought down, issuing his strongest call yet for their removal.

"We have to bring down this gang that forcibly took over the Gaza Strip," Abbas said in a television address, three days after seven people were killed by gunfire at a Fatah rally surrounded by Hamas security forces in the territory.

Abbas, preparing for a U.S.-hosted Middle East conference the United States hopes will bolster him, offered no details about how Hamas's removal could be accomplished.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri described Abbas's comments as "shameful" and said they proved he was not interested in any Palestinian internal reconciliation.

Abbas has said there could be no new unity talks with Hamas until it relinquished control of the Gaza Strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians. Hamas took over the area in fighting in June against Fatah.

In the speech, Abbas said he would meet Saudi King Abdullah on Friday to try to hammer out a united stance for the Annapolis, Maryland, conference that the Saudis have sent mixed signals about attending.

Saudi Arabia has told senior Western diplomats in recent days that its participation was in doubt because it was not satisfied with the gestures announced so far by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.

U.S. officials said it was premature to judge Saudi Arabia's intentions because the Bush administration has yet to send formal invitations to the conference, due to convene in the final week of November.