Pakistan, July 10 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree scheduling legislative elections for November 28, marking the first parliamentary vote in nearly two decades if held as planned. The elections are part of broader political reforms sought by the international community. Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem are expected to participate under the decree.

According to the official Wafa news , the decree calls for free and direct elections to choose members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. The last legislative elections took place in 2006, when Hamas defeated Abbas's Fatah movement. Since 2007, the Palestinian parliament has remained inactive because of the political divide.

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