EU should keep sanctions against Hamas: US

(WASHINGTON) - The United States on Wednesday urged the European Union to keep up its sanctions against Hamas, saying there was "no change" in US policy.

"We will continue to work closely with the European Union on Hamas-related issues. We believe that the EU should maintain its terrorism sanctions on Hamas," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

The United States was studying a ruling by an EU court ordering that the Palestinian militant group be removed from an EU blacklist, she told reporters.

"The US position on Hamas has not changed; Hamas is a designated foreign terrorist organization," she told reporters.

The EU insisted that it too still viewed Hamas as a terrorist group, saying the ruling by the General Court of the European Union was based on a technicality and that it might appeal the decision.

"Hamas continues to engage in terrorist activity and has demonstrated its intentions during this summer's conflicts with Israel," Psaki added.

"It fired thousands of rockets into Israeli civilian areas and attempted to infiltrate Israel through tunnels that extended into Israel."