Abbas in ‘excellent’ health: Palestinian official

By Jad al-Nabhan

RAMALLAH, Palestine

A Palestinian official on Sunday denied Israeli reports that President Mahmoud Abbas’s health condition was deteriorating.

“Abbas is an excellent health condition,” Mahmoud Ismail, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s executive committee, told Anadolu Agency.

The Palestinian leader arrived in Amman on Friday for medical check-ups, but Ismail described the planned checks as “routine”.

“The president conducts checkups every time he arrives in Amman. There is no problem in doing this,” he said.

Israeli media reported Saturday that Abbas was in a deteriorating health condition, a claim dismissed by Ismail.

“There is a psychological warfare staged by Israel to give the impression that the president was not O.K.,” he said.

“All these reports are lies and fabrications,” he insisted.

Last month, Abbas made medical checks during his visit to the U.S., sparking speculations about his health conditions.