Palestinian factions agree to postpone legislative elections set for Nov. 28: sources

RAMALLAH, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian factions have agreed to postpone the legislative elections scheduled for Nov. 28, two Palestinian sources said Thursday.

Speaking separately to Xinhua, the sources said representatives of Fatah, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad held meetings in Cairo on Wednesday and reached the agreement.

The decision, the sources said, is expected to be referred to the Palestinian leadership for final approval.

The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization is expected to meet and recommend postponing the electoral process, they said, adding that the recommendation will then be submitted to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who could issue a decision before the deadline for registering candidates.

The development follows a series of meetings among Palestinian factions in Cairo to discuss election arrangements and challenges, particularly in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, a Palestinian source said Israel had refused to allow teams from the Palestinian Central Elections Commission to enter the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem to oversee election-related procedures.

The legislative elections were part of a broader Palestinian electoral process amid a political division between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as challenges to holding elections across all Palestinian territories.