With the Palestinian unity government underway, backed by the US and EU, top lawmakers in Washington are calling on US Secretary of State John Kerry to defend his decision to deal with the new Hamas-backed government.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers of the US House of Representatives Middle East subcommittee are demanding from the secretary to explain why the US would continue dealing with the Palestinian Authority, knowing that the Hamas terror organization is now a part of the government.

The committee sent a letter to Kerry seeking clarity on what justifications the Obama administration is acting on in dealing with a designated terror organization.

“Any decision to work with this unity government could be extraordinarily counterproductive in our efforts both to promote peace and to help support the security of our ally Israel,” Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the committee’s chairwoman, and Ted Deutch (D-FL), wrote.

In the letter, the committee stated that it was willing and ready to convene a special hearing to determine whether the Obama administration is violating US law by supporting in any form a terrorist organization. Ros-Lehtinen herself wrote the 2006 law that bans any contact with terrorist groups.

According to the US State Department, the US will be “closely” monitoring the new government, which is purported to be made up of independent technocrats. Speaking on the formation of the new Palestinian government, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that members of the government “do not include members affiliated with Hamas.”

However, three MP’s associated with Hamas who reside in the Gaza Strip were sworn in to the new government.

“With what we know now, we will work with the government,” Psaki stated. She added that the US “will continue to evaluate the composition and policies of the new government and if needed we’ll modify our approach.”

The support offered to the Palestinians by the US has led to a fragile balancing act between Israel-US relations. Israel has flatly refused to negotiate or recognize a government backed by Hamas. The US has remained continually silent on pressuring the PA to force Hamas to denounce violence, terrorism and recognize the right of Israel to exist.

On Tuesday, Hamas called upon members of its armed wing to rise up and openly attack Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers in Judea and Samaria. Hamas has made clear that it would never lay down its arms against Israel and is staunch in its refusal to recognize Israel. The Gaza-based terror organization has continually vowed to wipe destroy the “Zionist enemy.”