The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Jerusalem

A senior Israeli official on Monday warned Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas against striking a reconciliation deal with Hamas, saying it would effectively sink faltering Middle East peace talks.

"Mahmud Abbas must decide whether he wants to continue negotiations with Israel or if he wants to renew an alliance with Hamas, as he cannot have both at the same time," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The sentiment was echoed by other unnamed Israeli officials cited by both army and public radio in their morning news reports. The statements came a day after Abbas's Fatah signed an agreement with Hamas in Sanaa to open first direct talks between the two bitter rivals since the Islamists bloody seizure of the Gaza Strip nine months ago.