Abbas: We will hold elections when possible

Palestinian Authority (PA), PLO and Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas said that the date of the upcoming elections is to be announced when holding “it becomes possible” in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Sputnik reported yesterday.

“We are forming a new government,” he told Sputnik. “According to a Constitutional Court decision, we have started organising legislative elections; we have instructed the central election commission to do this.”

He added: “We will announce the date of the elections as soon as it becomes possible to hold it in Jerusalem, in Gaza and in the West Bank.”

Abbas continued: “Organising elections will help us unite better in the coming period and meet the challenges that stand in our way.”

READ: As Abbas ages, Fatah moves to consolidate power 

In December, Abbas unilaterally and unconstitutionally announced the dissolution of the Palestinian parliament. Hamas and most of the Palestinian factions, including those who are members of his PLO, criticised the decision.

Recently, Israeli officials said they would never allow Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem to take part in any Palestinian elections.

Hamas said yesterday that it would take part in the elections if they were carried out based on the reconciliation agreement reached in 2017 in Cairo.

“We will never take part in parliamentary elections if the presidential and Palestinian National Council elections were excluded,” senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said, noting this was agreed upon in the deal brokered by Egypt.