Former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia dead at 85

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia has died at the age of 85, the WAFA news agency reported Wednesday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas extended his condolences to Palestinians and the Arab people, the agency reported.

Abbas said Qureia dedicated his life to defending the Palestinian cause and hailed him for his advocacy of efforts by Palestinian State institutions and his contributions to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The Palestinian president also said that Qureia, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, pioneered figures that defended the Palestinian cause and people both in the national and international arena.

An official funeral will be held on Thursday in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

Qureia, who joined the Palestinian national liberation movement Fatah in 1968, served as prime minister between 2003-2006.