CAIRO: Egypt says the move by the militant Palestinian Hamas to ban Fatah members from traveling to a key party convention in the West Bank is unacceptable.

The convention is to elect a new leadership of the Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas movement. Fatah says the meeting due next week is now in jeopardy because of Hamas ban.

Egypt s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki condemned Hamas decision as regrettable and unacceptable.

Zaki said Egypt will mediate to resolve the issue. His statement Tuesday was among the harshest criticism to date of the militant Gaza Strip rulers.

Hamas officials in the coastal area say they will only let Fatah delegates leave if Abbas releases hundreds of Hamas prisoners in the West Bank.