Yasser Abed Rabbo, an aide to Palestinian Authority President and leader of Fatah Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), said Tuesday that Abbas will issue a call for new elections in January, and they will be held in April over the objections of Hamas. Fatah is the nominal ruler of the PA in Judea and Samaria. Hamas rules in Gaza.

Abed Rabbo, in Ramallah, told Reuters that Hamas must understand that in the end there will be elections. Hamas have threatened that there will be a crisis when Abbas's term ends in January.