In a statement released on Saturday, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that the Palestinians expected the Quartet to end the boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian government during its meeting on Friday. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that Middle East peace talks should resume despite an outbreak of violence among Palestinian factions. Rice was speaking after a meeting of the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators, in which the U.S., Russia, United Nations and European Union voiced "deep concern" about violence between rival Palestinian factions that has killed 24 Palestinians in the last 24 hours.