1/ The Palestinian president issued a decree to hold overdue elections for the first time in 16 years. It's seen as an attempt to start a fresh chapter with the Biden administration by unifying Palestinians after more than a decade of split rule between the West Bank and Gaza.

2/ Analysts say Mahmoud Abbas hopes to regain control of Gaza and unite the divided Palestinian territories under one government to enter peace negotiations with Israel, mediated by a US president expected to be friendlier to the Palestinians than Trump has been.

3/ Abbas vowed to hold elections for years but he's finally issued a decree. Legislative elections are called for May 22, presidential elections July 31 and elections for the body representing Palestinians both inside the Palestinian territories and in the diaspora August 31.

4/ The last time elections were called was after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died in 2004. Current president Mahmoud Abbas of the secular Fatah party was elected in presidential elections in January 2005.

5/ The rival Islamist party Hamas won legislative elections in 2006, but the Palestinian leadership fell apart soon after: a power sharing dispute led to bloody infighting and Hamas’ takeover of Gaza in 2007.

Will elections actually take place? Stay tuned.