Israel `deeply disappointed` by US reaction on Palestinian govt

Jerusalem: Israel said it was "deeply disappointed" by the US readiness to work with a new Palestinian unity government which was sworn in on Monday as part of a deal with Islamist movement Hamas.

"We are deeply disappointed by the comments of the (US) State Department regarding working with the Palestinian unity government," a government official said. "This Palestinian government is a government backed by Hamas, which is a terror organisation committed to Israel`s destruction," the official told a news agency, declining to be named. "If the US administration wants to advance peace, it should be calling on (Palestinian leader Mahmud) Abbas to end his pact with Hamas and return to peace talks with Israel," the official said. "Instead, it is enabling Abbas to believe that it is acceptable to form a government with a terrorist organisation." State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki earlier said Washington believes Abbas has "formed an interim technocratic government... that does not include members affiliated with Hamas." "With what we know now, we will work with this government," Psaki said.