The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Tuesday criticized the official reception of the deposed Premier of Hamas government in Gaza Ismail Haneya by Egyptian Premier Hesham Qandil.

"The PNA has reservations on any official reception of Haneya as head of a government," said Riad al-Maliki, Palestinian minister of foreign affairs. "Such receptions harm the official Palestinian representation, which is limited to the PNA, President Mahmoud Abbas and his (West Bank-based) government."

Al-Maliki's remarks came after Haneya met Qandil on Monday in Cairo. A spokesman for Haneya said the two men held political, security and economical discussions.

In 2007, Abbas fired Haneya after Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and wrested control of the Gaza Strip.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak banned any official meetings between his government and Hamas, but the Islamic movement's relations with Egypt improved after the ouster of Mubarak and the Muslim Brotherhood winning presidential elections.

Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.