RAMALLAH, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Sunday that the Palestinian leadership insists on holding the Palestinian elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Abbas' announcement was made during a joint meeting for his Fatah movement's Central Committee, the Executive Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and senior security chiefs in Ramallah.
"The Palestinian elections will be held in all the Palestinian territories," said Abbas.
He said at the meeting that it was agreed to form two committees, including members from Fatah Central Committee and the PLO Executive Committee, adding that "the two committees coordinate the preparations for the elections."
"The two committees will meet with the Central Elections Commission and hold contact with Islamic Hamas movement and other factions as well as ... Israeli bodies," said Abbas.
The last Palestinian legislative elections were held in January 2006, where Hamas movement had overwhelmingly won the elections and dominated the parliament of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The PA parliament has remained inoperative since the start of the internal Palestinian division between Fatah and Hamas in 2007, when the latter had violently seized control of the Gaza Strip.
On the financial ties with Israel, Abbas told the meeting that "a long time ago, we agreed with the Israeli side to form a joint technical committee to discuss all the outstanding financial issues between the two sides."
"The Israeli government has recently agreed to reactivate the joint technical committee to discuss the financial issues between us," said Abbas.
Abbas also unveiled that there is an initial agreement reached with Israel on previewing Paris Economic Treaty signed between Israel and the Palestinians in Paris in 1994 that rules the economic and financial ties between Israel and the PA.
