US: Hamas-Fatah Agreement an ‘Internal Matter’

The Obama administration declined to weigh in on the reconciliation agreement signed between Hamas and Fatah, saying instead that it was an “internal matter”.

“As we’ve said many times, questions of Palestinian reconciliation are an internal matter for Palestinians,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

Nuland did reiterate the US position that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and that any Palestinian government must abide by the international agreements and norms that the Quartet had laid out. “Any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to non-violence. It must recognize the state of Israel and it must accept the previous agreements and obligations between the parties, including the road map.”