US says 'disappointed' by Palestinian unity deal

The United States said on Wednesday it was disappointed by a unity pact agreed between the ‎Gaza-based group Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas' 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.”

Psaki said US officials had expressed their concerns to the ‎Palestinians.

PLO and Hamas representatives announced an historic unity deal on Wednesday to bring to an end more than seven years of political division between the main Palestinian political parties.

The deal set a timetable of five weeks to form a unity government, which would hold presidential and parliamentary elections within six months.

Israel and the United States both criticized the unity deal, saying that it threatens the peace process.