Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday warned Israel against annexing the Jordan Valley, saying that if it goes ahead with the move, the PA will cancel all agreements with it, the Wafa news agency reported.
“As for the Israelis, we said that if Israel decides to [annex] the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, we must cancel all agreements between us and them,” he was quoted as having said.
Abbas further announced that Palestinian elections will be held after all the different factions agreed to holding them, though a date has not yet been set.
The PA chairman made clear, however, that the elections will not take place if Israel does not allow Palestinian Arabs living in eastern Jerusalem to vote.
Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative polls, which were the last ones to have been held. Abbas recently renewed a pledge to hold fresh parliamentary elections, though many were skeptical he would go through with them, as he has made similar pledges in the past.
Abbas' term as PA chairman was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office in the absence of elections.
His Fatah faction made clear last month that the 84-year-old will be its “sole candidate” in the election.