Related Event: The Palestinians after Arafat

Palestine National Authority Chairman-elect Mahmoud Abbas says he is ready to resume peace talks with Israel.

Abbas told international observers after winning Sunday's election, that he hopes the response from Israel will be positive.

Preliminary results show Abbas won 62.3 percent of the vote.

Independent candidate Mustafa Bargouti, who won less than 20 percent of the vote, congratulated Abbas on his victory and wished him success.

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Jihad said they are ready to make contact with the new Palestinian leadership.

(Photo Source: Reuters)

Copyright of crienglish.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.