Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a three-day mourning period for Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator who died on Tuesday after contracting COVID-19.
"The departure of the brother and the friend, the great fighter Saeb Erekat, represents a big loss for Palestine and for our people," Abbas' office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank said in a statement.
"We feel deep sorrow for losing him, especially at such difficult times the Palestinian cause is living through."