London: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared that preparations are in progress to hold parliamentary and presidential elections within a year after the end of Israel’s war on Gaza, reported the TRT Global.
Abbas made the announcement during his meeting in London with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, where discussions focused on developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and strengthening bilateral ties between Palestine and the United Kingdom.
The Palestinian leader emphasized his immediate priorities: securing a permanent ceasefire, ensuring unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza, releasing prisoners and hostages, withdrawing Israeli occupation forces, and beginning early reconstruction efforts.
He praised the UK’s recent decision to recognize the State of Palestine ahead of the upcoming international peace conference in New York, calling it “a corrective step to historic injustice and a gateway to peace.” Several other nations, including Belgium, France, Australia, and Canada, are also expected to follow suit during the UN General Assembly session this month.
Abbas underscored that any political party or candidate joining the elections must align with the political framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), international law, and the principle of “one authority, one law, and one security force.”
Although elections were decreed in 2021, they have yet to be conducted. However, Abbas recently announced that elections for the Palestinian National Council will be held before the end of 2025 — the first since 1964.
In separate talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Abbas urged immediate steps to halt Israeli violations, settlement expansion, settler violence, and annexation policies in the West Bank. He also demanded the release of nearly $3 billion in withheld Palestinian tax revenues and an end to assaults on holy sites.
Abbas reaffirmed that Gaza remains an inseparable part of Palestine, adding that Palestinian authorities, with Arab and international support, will assume full responsibility for its governance once the war concludes.
