Palestinian local polls postponed

Palestinian prime minister announces indefinite delay for July 17 ballot.

abbas haniyeh — Abbas hopes a delegation to Gaza will break the years-long Hamas-Fatah impasse [EPA]

PA officials moved ahead with planning, and Hamas last week announced a complete boycott of the polls.

The delay could be related to the ongoing attempt at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, which runs the government in the West Bank.

Munib al-Masri, a businessman in the West Bank, is preparing to lead a Fatah delegation to Gaza to meet with Hamas officials.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, hopes the delegation can break a years-long impasse between the two factions. Egypt has been mediating reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah.

Source: Al Jazeera