Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday he would not run in January elections, Palestinian officials told Reuters. An official from the PLO executive committee was quoted as saying: "The president insists on not running in the upcoming election."

Last month, Israel's Channel 10 TV reported that Abbas told US President Barack Obama he was on the verge of resignation. However, this report was later denied by Abbas's aide Yasser Abed Rabbo.

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