WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - The United States said it was disturbed by the Palestinian unity government's claim of a right to resist Israel and disappointed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's speech on Saturday expressing that right.

"The national unity government's platform reference to the right of resistance is disturbing and contradicts the Quartet principles of renunciation of violence," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Nancy Beck said. The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators consists of the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union.

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