Israel Halts Peace Talks After Palestinian Unity Deal

Israel’s security cabinet unanimously decided to halt peace talks with the Palestinians a day after Hamas and its rival faction Fatah agreed to a unity deal, the Associated Press reports.

The decision could bring the end of a nine-month peace effort backed by the U.S. Those talks were set to end April 29, though negotiators have been trying to extend them.

The rival Palestinian political factions announced their reconciliation deal Wednesday. Their deal came seven years after the two factions violently split, with Hamas retaining control of the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority ruling in the West Bank.

“What has happened is a great reverse for peace,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told NBC News Thursday.

[AP]