In a notable political development, the Palestine Liberation Organization on Thursday introduced a new leadership position beneath its aging leader Mahmoud Abbas, who at 89 has yet to name an heir.
The PLO Central Council approved the creation of a vice president role, a move seen as part of Abbas’s effort to maintain influence and carve out a leadership stake in future governance of Gaza. The Palestinian Authority has been largely excluded from current developments as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
Following two days of deliberations, the council voted to establish the role of vice chairman of the PLO Executive Committee. The person selected would also be known as the vice president of the State of Palestine—a title linked to the Palestinians’ long-standing aspirations for recognized statehood.
While this new role is widely expected to become a stepping stone for succession, details remain vague regarding how or when the position will be filled. Abbas is expected to appoint someone from among the 15 current members of the PLO’s top leadership body.
The PLO, viewed internationally as the official voice of the Palestinian people, also oversees the Palestinian Authority, which holds partial administrative control over areas of the West Bank. Abbas has led both organizations since 2005 but has not held elections since then, despite repeated calls for democratic renewal.
Abbas, a seasoned political figure known for his heavy smoking, has continued to hold power long after his original term ended in 2009. Meanwhile, public support for him and his Fatah movement has steadily declined, while Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization, has gained traction among Palestinians.
International donors, including Arab and Western governments, have demanded changes within the Palestinian Authority before allowing it to play a significant part in postwar Gaza. Critics cite systemic mismanagement and entrenched corruption. By announcing a succession framework, Abbas may be attempting to address some of these concerns.
Hamas, which won the last national elections in 2006, does not belong to the PLO. In 2007, Hamas overthrew Abbas’s forces in Gaza, seizing control of the enclave. Multiple attempts to reconcile the two factions have since collapsed.
Hamas launched the current war by sending waves of terrorists into southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In that surprise onslaught, about 1,200 people—most of them civilians—were murdered, and 251 others were taken hostage.
According to Hamas’s health ministry in Gaza, over 50,000 people have died or are missing in the ongoing conflict, though those figures remain unverified and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israeli officials say approximately 20,000 Hamas fighters have been eliminated in Gaza, in addition to 1,600 terrorists who were killed inside Israel during the initial attack on October 7.
The Israeli government maintains that it strives to avoid harming civilians, but points to Hamas’s tactics of embedding its operations in densely populated civilian areas, including residences, medical facilities, schools, and religious sites, as a major challenge to that effort.
{Matzav.com Israel}