Palestinian officials said Thursday that President Mahmoud Abbas will not seek re-election in January, Reuters reported.
Officials said he is expected to give a speech explaining why he is not going to run later on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Abbas reportedly cited the lack of progress in peace talks with Israel as a reason for not running, Reuters reported.
"The president insists on not running in the upcoming election," an official told Reuters.
An aide said they are trying to convince Abbas to reconsider. The president had recently requested the January election after a unity deal with Hamas failed, according to Reuters.
Abbas rejected U.S. calls to restart peace negotiations with Israel, Reuters reported.
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