Palestinian official denies reports of Abbas hospitalization
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-27 09:48

An official Palestinian source on Tuesday denied reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was hospitalized in the West Bank City of Ramallah.

Abbas did go to a local hospital, but he was accompanying Sakher Habbash, a member of the Fatah movement's central committee, who suffered a stroke, the source said.

Abbas' son, Yasser Abbas, also denied the reports.

He said that his father took Habbash to hospital after the latter suffered from a severe stroke.

Abbas, 69, was elected president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on January 9, succeeding late leader Yasser Arafat who died on November 11, 2004.