 Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday set Jan. 21 as the date for long-overdue legislative elections in what senior officials said was an attempt to give militants a strong incentive not to disrupt Israel's Gaza withdrawal. Abbas' main political rival, Hamas, will compete in national elections for the first time, and is expected to make a strong showing. With an election date set, Hamas is less likely to do anything that could harm its popular support, including attacks on Israeli troops that would trigger a large-scale Israeli offensive in Gaza. Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are trying to claim credit for Israel's Gaza pullout, which began Monday, as thousands of Israeli troops distributed eviction notices in Gaza settlements. |