Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has confirmed his resignation as the chief of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, local news channel Al Arabiya News reported on Saturday night local time.
He was joined by a number of top-level members from his cabinet.
It was not immediately clear the reason for the sudden departure though Abbas had threatened to quit a number of times in the past.
Stagnant relations with Israel are likely to have played a part as under Abbas the two sides never got close to a long sought after two state peace deal. Palestine is also facing pressure from ISIS who is looking to take advantage of their weakened state and Israeli barbarism to incite violence between the two longtime enemies.
The Palestinian national council will now hold an election within a month to find a new executive committee for the PLO.
Abbas, who is 80 years old, took up the position in 2005.
Israel has yet to comment on the news and the implications will likely hinge on who the successor to Abbas will be.
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