GAZA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Hamas movement said Saturday it has not yet frozen its ties with Syria although it criticized President Bashar al-Assad's government for crackdown against protesters.

"Voicing rejection to the continuation of violence doesn't mean an official cutoff to our relations with the Syrian regime," said Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas official in Gaza.

On Friday, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya greeted the Syrian people in their protest against al-Assad during Friday prayers in Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo.

The comments came weeks after the exiled leadership of Hamas left its long-time base in Syria.

Al-Bardaweel said that Hamas had advised Syria not to use security-based solutions in dealing with people's demands of democracy and reform.

"Differences inside the regime apparently prevented them from listening to our advice," he told Xinhua.

Al-Bardaweel confirmed that all members of Hamas' frontline leadership have left Syria collectively. Hamas is still seeking a new foothold. "We are no longer carrying out activities in Damascus and the movement's leaders travel here and there."

Hamas has taken over Gaza by force in 2007, but its senior leaders have stayed in Damascus since 1999.