Kerry congratulates new Palestinian PM Hamdallah

US Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated newly-appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in a statement Sunday night and said that his appointment comes at a challenging time but that it created an opportunity.

"Together, we can choose the path of a negotiated two-state settlement that will allow Palestinians to fulfill their legitimate aspirations, and continue building the institutions of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state that will live in peace, security, and economic strength alongside Israel," the statement said. (AP)