The Islamic Hamas movement on Wednesday accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces of arresting 100 Hamas members in the West Bank in the past two days.

Meanwhile, the deposed Hamas government, which administrates the Gaza Strip, denied that its security forces hold any Fatah members for political reasons, adding all the prisoners were detained for criminal or security reasons.

Hamas published in a leaflet the names of 40 out of the 100 members arrested by Abbas security forces in different West Bank areas since Tuesday night.

"Hamas detainees are from the West Bank cities of Qalqilya, Hebron, Salfit and Ramallah," said the Hamas leaflet, adding that many of them were arrested at their homes.

Hamas accusations came two days after Abbas instructed his security chiefs to free Hamas political prisoners, saying that their release will not threat security and stability in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, Ihab al-Ghussein, spokesman for Hamas ministry of interior, said in a statement that there are no Fatah political prisoners held in Gaza Hamas jails.

The statement was issued shortly after an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation visited a main Hamas prison in Gaza and checked the humanitarian circumstances of the prisoners.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2009)