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Israel's security cabinet on Thursday unanimously decided to suspend peace talks with the Palestinians in response to a Wednesday reconciliation deal between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas.
"The government decided that Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by Hamas, a terrorist organization that calls for Israel's destruction," Ofir Gendleman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter.
"Israel will respond to unilateral Palestinian action with a series of measures," he added without elaborating.
On Wednesday, Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement that aims to end years of division between the two factions. The deal, welcomed by most Arab states, calls for the formation of a national unity government to pave the way for presidential and parliamentary polls.
In Tel Aviv, however, news of the agreement received a cold reception.
Commenting on the deal, Netanyahu said Wednesday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Fatah, had to choose between reconciliation with Hamas and peace with Israel.
Netanyahu added that Hamas's only objective was the destruction of the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
Relations between Fatah and Hamas have remained tense since the latter seized control of the Gaza Strip following deadly clashes with pro-Fatah forces in 2007 – one year after Hamas defeated Fatah in Palestinian legislative polls.
A deadline for the peace talks is set to expire on April 29. Israel had wanted to convince Palestinian negotiators to extend the deadline further in hopes of clinching a deal.
Gendleman "ed Netanyahu as saying that the Palestinian reconciliation agreement had been signed despite Israel's efforts to advance the negotiations.
"Abbas violated existing agreements by unilaterally applying to accede to international treaties and then formed an alliance with Hamas," Netanyahu said, according to Gendleman.
By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout
englishnews@aa.com.tr - Kudüs
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