Palestinian intelligence chief undergoes successful heart operation

Majid Faraj, head of the Palestinian Authority’s General Intelligence Service, recently underwent a successful heart operation at a hospital in the United States, according to a Palestinian official.Two stents were inserted into Faraj’s coronary arteries, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said in a phone call.Stents, small wire mesh tubes, “keep coronary arteries open and reduce the chance of a heart attack,” the American Heart Association website says.Faraj also underwent a cardiac catheterization at an Israeli hospital some six months ago, according to the official.A cardiac cathereterization “is a procedure to examine how well your heart is working,” the American Heart Association website also says.On Friday, hundreds of Palestinians and Palestinian leaders welcomed Faraj back to his home in the Dehaishe refugee camp in the Bethlehem area, Maan, a Palestinian news site, reported.Faraj is one of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s closest advisers and frequently travels with him.