Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), Chairwoman of the State Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement regarding the reported announcement today that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Hamas have reached an agreement to form a unity government.

“I am deeply concerned by the reports of an agreement reached between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Hamas, a terrorist organization, to form a unity government. This is an unwelcomed development and is not constructive. Not only does this action potentially derail any hope of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, it puts in jeopardy future U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority. This is an irresponsible path forward and this agreement should be abandoned immediately if the Palestinian Authority is serious about the peace process.”