JERUSALEM (AFX) - The United States is ready to work with members of the new Palestinian government who are not from Hamas, which Washington considers a terrorist outfit, an embassy spokeswoman said.
'Individuals who are not members of foreign terrorist organisations but who do hold office in the unity government, we do not rule out contact with those individuals,' the spokeswoman said.
Israel has called for the international community to uphold a boycott of the entire government until it explicitly agrees to international demands including recognition of the Jewish state and renunciation of violence.
The spokeswoman said Washington will also maintain ties with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas despite his decision to share power with Hamas, a group responsible for scores of suicide bombings.
The moderate Western-backed leader is due to meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Mar 24 in Ramallah and again on Mar 26 in Amman, sources in Abbas's office said Sunday.
But the United States was disappointed with Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya's speech to parliament on Saturday when the new Hamas-Fatah government was sworn in, the embassy spokeswoman said.
'We were disappointed with Haniya's speech yesterday,' she said. 'It was an opportunity to explicitly accept the Quartet principles and he did not take it.'
The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators -- the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia -- has called on the Palestinian government to renounce violence, recognise Israel and honour past peace deals.
However, the Hamas prime minister proclaimed the Palestinians' right to resist the Israeli occupation and stopped short of recognising the Jewish state's right to exist. newsdesk@afxnews.com afp/abr COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited