Arab states, which had tried to smooth differences between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement, also decided at emergency talks which ended Saturday to set up a commission to examine the situation in the Palestinian territories.

The ministers condemned the "criminal acts" in the Gaza Strip in a statement issued after their meeting and called for a "return to the situation before the incidents."

They stressed "the need to respect the legitimacy of the Palestinian nation headed by Mahmud Abbas and respect elected institutions, including the Legislative Council," where Hamas has a majority.

Arab ministers had been due to meet on Saturday at the request of Lebanon to discuss the latest killing of an anti-Syrian politician in that country.

But they brought their meeting forward after Abbas dissolved a three-month-old power-sharing government on Thursday and the Islamists of Hamas seized control of Gaza, leaving Abbas and his Fatah movement based in the occupied West Bank.

The Arab ministers appointed a commission, which includes key regional power players Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to study the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, which will "submit a report on the situation in less than a month."

Egyptian and Saudi leaders have been involved in trying to smooth differences between Fatah and the Islamist Hamas, which rose to power in 2006 elections.

The commission also includes Qatar, Jordan, Tunisia and Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa.

Arab League ambassadors had appealed earlier to both Hamas and Fatah to return to Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation talks, warning that the failure of such talks could have "deeply negative consequences."

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, whose country brokered a Palestinian unity government deal in the holy city of Mecca in February, said the infighting was "realising Israel's dream."

"Through their fighting, our Palestinian brothers have realised Israel's dream of setting alight the fire of discord and war between Palestinians," he told the meeting's opening session.

"Today, the Palestinians are banging in the last nail in the coffin of the Palestinian cause," he said, appealing for dialogue.