WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The United States has stopped all its contact with the Palestinian government headed by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the State Department said on Friday.

    "We've advised our mission in Jerusalem as well as other missions around the world that have dealings with the Palestinian Authority that there should be no contacts between U.S. government officials and PA officials who are under the authority of the prime minister or any other minister in the Hamas-led government."

    "This includes working level officials in those ministries," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told a news briefing.

    However, US diplomats "can have contact with Palestinian Authority President Abbas, officials in the office of the president, as well as officials and agencies directly under the authority of the Palestinian Authority president," Ereli said.

    "We will work with individuals and organizations who are not affiliated with Hamas," the spokesman added.

    Ereli said that the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, David Welch, who is now in the region, had met with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat and was expected to meet with Abbas in the coming days.

    Hamas has taken the helm of Palestinians after it won a large parliamentary majority in elections in January.

    The United States, which considers Hamas to be a terror organization, has vowed not to have talks with Hamas until it renounces violence, accepts interim peace deals and recognizes Israel's right to exit. Enditem