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Fatah Congress Opens
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas opened Fatah’s three-day Eighth General Conference in Ramallah on Thursday to elect a new central committee, its highest leadership body, for the first time in 10 years as it faces existential challenges in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza.
“"We renew our full commitment to continuing work on implementing all the reform measures we pledged," Abbas said”
Abbas pledged to reform the Palestinian Authority and to hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections, saying, "We renew our full commitment to continuing work on implementing all the reform measures we pledged," and he added he was "ready to hold presidential and legislative elections" without providing a timeline.
The conference is being held in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah with parallel sessions in Gaza, Cairo, and Beirut, and it is expected to elect 18 representatives to the central committee and 80 to the movement’s parliament, known as the revolutionary council.
Al Jazeera reported that Abbas was unanimously re-elected as leader of the Fatah movement late on Thursday, and Wafa was cited saying he will remain head of the central committee.
In the same period, Hamas urged Fatah to hold direct talks after Ramallah’s congress, with senior Hamas member Husam Badran calling the three-day gathering "an opportunity to achieve a shift in Palestinian internal national relations."
Voices, Disputes, Pressure
As Abbas pledged reforms and elections, the conference also drew competing voices within Fatah, including Nasser al-Qudwa, who boycotted the gathering and labeled it "illegitimate," saying, "This conference is illegitimate, and this leadership that has usurped power is illegitimate and its time is up," according to The New Indian Express.
The Times of Israel reported that Abbas criticized Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, saying, "The continued holding of Palestinian Authority funds by Israel is an unprecedented event that violates the agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, as well as international law," while also describing Gaza as "an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe."
Jibril Rajoub, the current secretary general of the Fatah Central Committee, told AFP ahead of the congress that the Palestinian national movement faces some of its "most serious challenges in our struggle" and he expressed hope the conference would contribute to "ensuring and protecting the establishment of a Palestinian state on the world’s agenda."
In parallel, Hamas framed the congress as a moment for internal alignment, with Husam Badran urging Fatah to agree on a unified "national strategy" and proposing a formal meeting between the two movements once the congress wraps up.
Al Jazeera also reported that major figures were absent from Thursday’s conference, notably Nasser al-Qudwa, and it named key figures competing to replace Abbas as Jibril Rajoub and PA Deputy Hussein al-Sheikh.
What’s at Stake
The conference’s stakes are tied to the post-Abbas era, with multiple outlets describing the central committee as expected to play a key role in succession planning and with the Times of Israel noting that many observers wondered whether Abbas might step down after more than two decades at the helm.
“"This congress takes place at a time of profound difficulty for the Palestinian people"”
The New Indian Express reported that the conference is expected to elect 18 representatives to the central committee and 80 to the movement’s parliament, known as the revolutionary council, while also placing the gathering in the context of the PA’s pressure from the United States, the European Union and Arab states to implement reforms and hold elections.
In a message to participants, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reiterated the Socialist International’s commitment to a two-state solution, saying, "This congress takes place at a time of profound difficulty for the Palestinian people and for the region, a moment that calls for responsibility, unity and political leadership," as reported by Al Arabiya English.
WAFA described the congress as occurring during what speakers called one of the most critical periods the Palestinian people have faced, with parallel sessions in Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo, and Beirut and a program that includes reviewing commission reports, opening nominations, and organizing elections before results and a final communiqué on Saturday.
Hamas’s call for direct talks after Ramallah’s congress added a competing political track, with Badran urging Fatah to enter a direct dialogue after the congress to reach consensus "on all issues concerning our people during this sensitive phase."
