RAMALLAH, 2 December 2004 — In a remarkable development, jailed Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti yesterday entered the race for president, associates said, reversing an earlier decision and throwing Palestinian politics into disarray.

Saed Nimr, head of a group devoted to freeing Barghouti from an Israeli prison, confirmed the presidential campaign paid a $3,000 deposit yesterday just hours before a midnight deadline.

“I officially presented Marwan’s candidacy for the presidential election,” Fadwa, Barghouti’s wife, told reporters after emerging from the offices of the central elections commission in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Barghouti’s candidacy would undermine the prospects of interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the presidential candidate of the ruling Fatah movement.

Fatah officials have warned that a bid by Barghouti, who is a leading Fatah member and more popular than the staid Abbas, could split the movement. Barghouti would have to run as an independent candidate.

Hamas, meanwhile, announced that it will boycott the Jan. 9 election, the first sign of open tensions between Abbas and the opposition group since the death of Yasser Arafat on Nov. 11.

The announcement could undercut the legitimacy of the election, though Hamas said it would honor the outcome. Hamas has tens of thousands of supporters and is particularly strong in the Gaza Strip.

Also yesterday, Israel and Egypt reached agreement for Egypt to deploy 750 troops along its border with the Gaza Strip ahead of Israel’s planned withdrawal from the territory, senior Israeli officials said.

The decision was made at a meeting in Jerusalem between Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, according to the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is to begin in July 2005, according to the government’s “unilateral disengagement” plan.

Barghouti, who represents the younger generation in Fatah, has wavered repeatedly on whether to run. Several days ago, he announced he would drop out of the race for the sake of unity.

However, yesterday, Barghouti’s campaign paid the bank deposit required of independent presidential candidates, Nimr said. Barghouti’s backers have collected the required 5,000 signatures of support in recent days, and submitted them along with the application.

Barghouti’s return to the campaign threatened to divide what had been a united front in Fatah. Many young Fatah activists have complained that the long-entrenched Palestinian leadership has frozen them out of key positions. But after Barghouti said last Friday that he would not run, the young guard pledged to unite behind Abbas.

A Barghouti presidency would also shake up the chances for resuming the peace process. Abbas has been critical of the armed uprising against Israel and is eager to resume peace talks. Barghouti also favors a negotiated settlement, but has also praised armed confrontations.

Israel, for its part, says Barghouti is a murderer and has said he won’t be released from prison.

Barghouti, 45, is serving five consecutive life terms in an Israeli prison for his role in deadly shooting attacks that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk. Barghouti has denied involvement in violence.

Word of Barghouti’s candidacy came just hours after Abbas formally launched his campaign for Palestinian Authority president. Abbas called for a renewal of peace talks with Israel and said the two sides would meet after the election. “We must have a dialogue with the Israelis,” Abbas said at his campaign headquarters. “After the elections, we will meet again” to discuss the road map.

The internationally backed peace plan calls for the establishment of an independent state next year, but has been stalled since it was signed in June 2003.

The Palestinians have failed to meet their commitment to crack down on groups like Hamas, while Israel hasn’t kept its pledge to halt settlement construction and pull down settlement outposts.

— Additional input from agencies