World
India
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has named Hussein al-Sheikh, a longtime confidant, as his deputy and likely successor, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) announced Saturday, according to a report by Reuters. The move is widely seen as an effort to ease international concerns about the future of Palestinian leadership.
Abbas, who is 89, has led both the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) since the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004, the report said, adding that Sheikh, born in 1960, is a veteran member of Fatah, the main faction of the PLO founded by Arafat and currently headed by Abbas. Reports suggest he is seen as a pragmatist with strong ties to Israel. The PLO stated that Sheikh was named vice president after its executive committee approved Abbas’s nomination.
Reforming the Palestinian Authority, which holds limited autonomy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has been a top priority for both the United States and Gulf nations, Reuters reported. International powers have pushed for a revitalised PA that could potentially play a central role in future efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Pressure for reform has mounted since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, where Hamas has battled Israeli forces for over 18 months, devastating the already fragile enclave. The United States has advocated for a reformed PA to govern Gaza after the conflict, while Gulf nations — likely seen as key financiers of post-war reconstruction — have reportedly demanded similar reforms.
At a meeting of the PLO’s Central Council earlier this week, which approved the creation of the vice president role without initially naming an appointee, Abbas made a demand for Hamas to disarm. According to Reuters, Abbas issued his clearest call yet for Hamas to “completely disarm and hand its weapons — and responsibility for governing in Gaza — to the PA.”
While Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas, it has also firmly opposed any PA role in Gaza, reports say. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his rejection for the creation of a Palestinian state, the report further said.
Meanwhile, the PA’s popularity among Palestinians has seemingly waned due to widespread corruption allegations, stalled progress toward statehood, and increasing Israeli military operations in the West Bank, the report said. Fatah has controlled the PA since its establishment following the 1993 Oslo Accords, but parliamentary elections have not been held since 2005.
According to the Reuters report, Sheikh, who was imprisoned by Israel from 1978 to 1989 for his resistance activities, has served as the PA’s chief liaison with the Israeli government and as Abbas’s envoy to key international stakeholders.
ALSO READ: Trump Says US Ships Should Be Allowed To Pass Through Panama And Suez Canals ‘Free Of Charge’
