Nasser al-Qidwa, a member of Fatah's powerful central committee and Yasser Arafat's nephew, has long been an Abbas critic; says he hopes the imprisoned Barghouti will head his bloc

Israel demands ballots only in West Bank and Gaza, but hoped-for capital is a red line for the PA, which could use the issue as an excuse to halt the first PA election in 15 years

Palestinians are scheduled to head to the ballot box on May 22, although observers are skeptical that elections will actually happen

Palestinians have boycotted Washington since 2017, although some informal contacts have remained in place; senior PA official says two sides discussed bilateral relations

Ahmad Majdalani tells The Times of Israel that Ramallah is already engaged in unofficial contacts with Washington, which he hopes will soon become official

PA recalls envoy to Bahrain, says deal 'blows up' Arab Peace Initiative; PLO slams 'betrayal of Jerusalem and the Palestinians,' while Hamas slams accord as an 'aggression'

Palestinian official says German chancellor recently told Abbas she won four elections since he was last elected in 2005; some European diplomats question future financial aid

Palestinian finance minister says Ramallah has found itself in 'a dangerous financial position,' but partial solution may be on the horizon

White House official declines to say whether Baghdad was invited to conference; PLO Executive Committee member Ahmad Majdalani praises Iraqi decision not to participate in event