Abbas sets gamble on Jan. 24 Palestinian election | Reuters

There is a story behind this:
Egypt have been trying to stitch Hamas and Fatah together so that there is a visible united partner for talks with Israel.
Hamas wouldn't sign up.
The Cairo locked up a lot (hundreds) of Hamas family members in the city to try to pressure Hamas to sign - didn't work.
Then Abbas threatened to call an election if they didn't sign - that didn't work either.
The practicalities of holding an election in Gaza, where Hamas overthrew (literally from tall buildings) the opposition are something of a logistical nightmare.
This could cause a power shift in what they call the West Bank, and the consequences may not be at all pretty.

This will be interesting, especially the cajoling that will come from Israel, the USA and Iran and it's proxies.

Personally I think Fatah should give up on uniting the two until Hamas is overthrown, they'd impede the peace process more than help it. Israel should negotiate exclusively with the West Bank, and prove peace is possible if you're willing to concede a few things. Gaza is basically a separate country and should be treated as such.