Abbas leaves W. Bank hospital after 9 days

By Qays Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was discharged from hospital in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday after nine days.

“Thank God, I’m leaving the hospital in good health. I will return to work tomorrow,” Abbas said in a short statement to the media after leaving the hospital.

"The most important thing is that the homeland remains healthy and we will work to have East Jerusalem as the capital of our independent state,” he said.

On May 20, the Palestinian leader was hospitalized in Ramallah after suffering a lung infection. A few days later, he was hospitalized again after suffering a fever. He remained there until today at the hospital’s cardiological department.

Earlier this month, Abbas, 82, underwent an ear surgery. Since then, he has returned to the hospital twice, prompting speculation about the state of his health.

Abbas was elected president after the death of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2004.

He pursued U.S-sponsored peace talks with Israel, which broke down in 2014 over Israel’s refusal to halt settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories.