NABLUS, West Bank - The militant Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas announced on Saturday it would end a long-standing boycott and take part in Palestinian legislative elections in July.
"Hamas has decided to take part in the Palestinian legislative council election this summer," a Hamas leader, Mohammad Ghazal, told a press conference in the northern West Bank town of Nablus.
Hamas boycotted the first legislative elections in the Palestinian territories in 1996 and refused to put forward a candidate for the presidential election in January which saw Mahmud Abbas chosen to succeed the late Yasser Arafat.
However, Hamas has taken part in local elections, and scored a landslide victory in its Gaza Strip stronghold in January.
Abbas welcomed the news.
"This is a positive step that contributes to the participation of all Palestinians in political life," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.
"Hamas` decision is not really a surprise since the group had taken part in recent local elections which they won," he said.
The announcement by Hamas came ahead of a meeting of all Palestinian factions in Egypt on Tuesday where they are expected to discuss a ceasefire.
Palestinian national security advisor Jibril Rajub said last week that all armed groups were ready to observe a truce following several months of an unofficial period of calm.
03/12/2005 12:43 GMT