GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israeli intelligence summoned Jan. 24 Omar al-Barghouti, a 67-year-old leader in the Hamas movement, from the village of Kober, north of Ramallah, and warned him against running in the upcoming Palestinian elections.
Fifteen years since elections were last held in the Palestinian territories, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree Jan. 15 setting the dates for general elections, beginning with the legislative elections on May 22.