Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' doctor said Sunday that the 83-year-old will be staying another day in the hospital, abruptly reversing a previous announcement that he would be discharged and adding to the uncertainty surrounding the Palestinian leader's health. Abbas allies insisted he was in good health, but day after day he remained hospitalized. More recently, a cardiologist moved into the presidential compound in Ramallah to monitor the longtime leader after a mysterious hospital visit in the United States. Abbas took over as a caretaker leader following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2004, and was elected for what was supposed to be a five-year term the following year. A political split with Hamas — the Palestinian militant group that seized the Gaza Strip in 2007 — has prevented new elections.

Source: ABC News May 27, 2018 07:57 UTC