Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed Ahmed Qureia from his position as the PA's senior negotiator in talks with Israel, the pan-Arab paper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported Tuesday.

Abbas has shifted responsibility for the peace negotiations from Qureia, a veteran PA official, to Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Liberation Organization's representative for the negotiations, the London-based paper said.

Erekat himself was said to have confirmed the report, stating that he was the chairman of the Palestinian negotiating team. But he reportedly refused to explain why Qureia was dismissed from the post.
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Qureia bureau denied the report, stating no decision had yet been reached on the matter.

According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, while Abbas has not put the decision into writing, he has kept Qureia from participating in recent meetings with United States and Israeli officials.