RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday gave Hamas two weeks to accept a moderate political platform for a unity government, ahead of talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Abbas said that talks with the ruling Hamas militant group on forming a more moderate coalition government have broken down.

Abbas also said a new Cabinet must be formed to end a recent surge in violence that claimed 10 lives in three days. He did not elaborate.

There is no dialogue now, Abbas said at a news conference with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa.

A preliminary coalition agreement announced on Sept. 11 is over now, and we have to start from square one, he said.