BREAKING NEWS

US State Department 'disappointed' about Hamas-Fatah reconciliation

WASHINGTON - The United States said on Wednesday it was disappointed by a unity pact agreed between the Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and said it could seriously complicate peace efforts.

"The timing was troubling and we were certainly disappointed in the announcement," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a regular news briefing.

"This could seriously complicate our efforts. Not just our efforts but the efforts of the parties to extend their negotiations."