US President Barack Obama described as “unhelpful” the reconciliation between Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas movement.

US President Barack Obama described as “unhelpful” the reconciliation between Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas movement.

"The fact that recently President Abbas took the unhelpful step of rejoining talks with Hamas is just one of a series of choices that both Israel and the Palestinians have made which are not conducive to solving this crisis,” Obama said.

"There comes a point at which there just needs to be a pause and both sides need to look at the alternatives."

The US leader hinted that his administration may expend less energy on the talks than in recent months, but did not rule out a return to talks.

"Realistically, there is one door and that is the two parties getting together to make some very difficult compromises," Obama said.

"We will continue to encourage them to walk through that door. Do I expect they will walk through that door, next week, next month or even in the course of the next six months? No."