United States State Department officials said Thursday that former US President Jimmy Carter’s planned meeting with Hamas head Khaled Mashaal goes against US policy. "US government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't believe it is in the interests of our policy or in the interests of peace to have such a meeting," said State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack. McCormack said that US officials had “counseled the former President about having such a meeting.”
If Carter does meet with Mashaal, it will not be the first time he has gone against US policy regarding Hamas. The former president has also offered to mediate ceasefires between Hamas and rival terror group Fatah and between Hamas and Israel despite the fact that US officials are opposed to negotiating with the group.