RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Fatah on Tuesday accused Hamas of detaining its spokesman in Gaza a day earlier.

Hamas forces detained Fayez Abu Eita on Monday, Fatah spokesman Usama al-Qawasmi said in a statement.

The detention is a "dangerous escalation" and threatens efforts to reconcile the rival factions, al-Qawasmi said. It is a disappointment for the Palestinian leadership and Egyptian mediators, he added.

On Tuesday, Hamas accused the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority of detaining eight of its members across the West Bank.

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo last may and both parties pledged to stop detaining each others' affiliates.

The faltering deal has failed to yield a unity government, and the parties continue to lead rival administrations in the West Bank and Gaza.