The Palestinian prime minister has rejected a decision by the president to assume security control over the Gaza Strip's border crossings. The decision by Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday night highlights tensions with Hamas in the wake of the Islamist group's victory over the president's long-dominant Fatah in elections in January. Officials close to Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, said he had come under pressure from the European Union, which threatened to withdraw its monitors from the key Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt in response to Hamas's rise to power.But Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister, said on Thursday: "The government does not accept the creation of parallel bodies that may take away its authority. This is an elected government, not an appointed one. Brother Abu Mazen confirmed to me more than once that he will not touch the authority of the current government." He said that he would meet Abbas later on Thurdsay to discuss the crossings and other security concerns.