Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was discharged from hospital on Monday after eight days where he was receiving treatment for fever and pneumonia. "Thank God I am leaving the hospital in good health and I will return to work tomorrow," the 82-year-old leader, dressed in a suit and smiling, told reporters before walking out of the hospital in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Abbas, who is a heavy smoker, was admitted on May 20 for what doctors had initially said were medical tests following ear surgery. Officials later said he was being treated for pneumonia. Palestinian officials said he was on a respirator, receiving antibiotics intravenously. The lengthy stay has drawn new attention to the Palestinian leaders health problems and his refusal to name a deputy or a successor. Abbas allies have insisted he is in good health, but his release was repeatedly pushed back. Abbas, who was also hospitalized for medical checks during a trip to address the UN Security Council in February, became president after the death in 2004 of Yasser Arafat. He pursued US-led peace talks with Israel but these broke down in 2014 and his democratic mandate expired eight years ago. There has been no presidential election since 2005 and the term of office is only five years.