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Palestinian Authority

All articles tagged with #palestinian authority

world6 days ago•3 min saved

US presses Palestinians to drop UN General Assembly vice-presidency bid

According to a leaked 19 May State Department cable, Washington pressed the Palestinian Authority to withdraw its bid for a UN General Assembly vice-presidency by 22 May, warning that consequences would follow; the US argued the role could let Palestinians chair high-profile Middle East debates and undermine Trump’s plan, and suggested visa revocation and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues as leverage. The Palestinians are running on an Asia-Pacific slate, and Riyad Mansour had previously withdrawn a candidacy after US lobbying, underscoring the pressure in play.

via The Guardian|

#middle-east-diplomacy #palestinian-authority #un-general-assembly

world8 days ago•1 min saved

Fatah tightens control as Abbas-aligned figures win key seats in Central Committee

Fatah wrapped up its eighth general conference by electing a new 18-member Central Committee and an accompanying Revolutionary Council, with turnout reported at about 94.6%. The vote consolidates the Ramallah-based establishment, adding Majed Faraj, Yasser Abbas, and Laila Ghannam to top posts, and including Zakaria Zubeidi, a former al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades commander recently released from Israeli custody. The three-day, multi-hub process across Ramallah, Gaza, Beirut, and Cairo underscored the movement’s continued dominance of the Palestinian Authority and the PLO since 1994, while Mahmoud Abbas was re-elected as overall leader.

via Israel National News|

#central-committee #fatah #mahmoud-abbas

middle-east1 month ago•8 min saved

PA Local Elections Open Across West Bank and Gaza, First in Gaza Since 2007

Palestinian Authority local elections opened across the West Bank and Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, with about 1 million eligible voters including roughly 70,000 from Gaza; polls close by 7 p.m. and initial results are due overnight. The ballots operate under a 2025 electoral law with two systems—open‑list proportional representation for municipal councils and a majority system for village councils. Some factions are boycotting to protest PA demands that candidates back its Israel‑recognition framework. Gaza’s vote marks its first since Hamas took control in 2007, though Hamas has not officially fielded candidates; one Deir al-Balah list is widely seen as aligned with it, and Hamas police are slated to secure polling stations in Gaza.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#deir-al-balah #elections #gaza

world1 month ago•5 min saved

Gaza Tests Democracy with First Municipal Elections in Two Decades

Gaza’s Deir el-Balah hosts its first municipal elections in over 20 years, part of a broader push to revive local governance after war damage. About 70,000 eligible voters will choose a council from four independent lists using a closed-list system with gender quotas and candidate preferences. Parties like Hamas and Fatah are not running under official banners; candidates frame their campaigns around service delivery and transparency. Analysts warn the vote may not reflect broader political power and could influence PA legitimacy and potential post-war governance arrangements for Gaza and the West Bank.

via Al Jazeera|

#deir-el-balah #gaza #independent-lists

middle-east3 months ago•7 min saved

Hebron Mayor decries Israeli power expansion as West Bank gains civilian sway

Israel’s cabinet approved sweeping changes that extend civilian control into Palestinian-run areas of the West Bank, giving Israel authority over municipal services and planning for sites like Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs. Palestinian officials say the move amounts to de facto annexation and signals the end of renewed peace talks, with Hebron’s acting mayor Asma al-Sharabati lamenting that Palestinians are “not protected” as settlers and Israeli authorities tighten control. The development drew international condemnation and underscored concerns that the Oslo framework is eroding as the West Bank’s status shifts.

via BBC|

#annexation #hebron #israeli-settlements

middle-east3 months ago•16 min saved

Palestinian draft constitution elevates Sharia, omits Jewish ties to Jerusalem

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas published a draft constitution for a future Palestinian state, establishing Islam as the official religion with Sharia as the primary source of legislation and designating Jerusalem as the capital and religious center while omitting any direct reference to Judaism. The draft reaffirms the PLO as the sole legitimate representative, guarantees the right of return for refugees, and includes provisions to care for families of martyrs, prisoners, and exiles (the pay-for-slay policy). It sets a civil-overseen security framework, bans non-government militias, imposes two five-year presidential terms with nationality/age restrictions, and envisions a Palestinian Monetary Authority. Public comment is invited for 60 days; Macron had offered to help, and Hamas criticized the draft as a rights violation.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#constitution #jerusalem #middle-east

world3 months ago•4 min saved

Israel expands West Bank control with land and planning measures

Israel’s security cabinet approved a package of measures to deepen Israeli control in the West Bank, including lifting a ban on land sales to Jews, declassifying land registry records, shifting planning for sensitive sites in Hebron to Israeli authorities, enforcing environmental/archeological rules in Palestinian areas, and reviving a committee to enable proactive land purchases to secure land for settlements, a move praised by settlers and condemned by Palestinians and neighbors.

via AP News|

#land-confiscation #land-registry #palestinian-authority

world4 months ago•7 min saved

Phase two of Trump’s Gaza plan eyes technocratic governance and rebuilding

Phase two of Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan moves forward with a proposed technocratic Palestinian governing committee under international oversight, plus a Board of Peace to supervise reconstruction and reforms and a plan for an International Stabilization Force, while key details, funding, and timelines remain unclear and risks of stalemate persist.

via AP News|

#ceasefire #gaza #hamas

world4 months ago•2 min saved

Gaza moves into second phase with technocrat-led transition

The US announced the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, proposing a Palestinian technocrat committee to run daily life during a transition and a push toward demilitarisation and reconstruction; Egypt said the 15-member committee would be deployed, with potential heads named, and Nickolay Mladenov to oversee and report to a Trump-chaired peace board whose membership will be announced soon. The plan follows the October hostage exchange, but key details—especially Hamas disarmament and specific members—remain unclear.

via The Guardian|

#ceasefire #egypt #gaza

world4 months ago•3 min saved

Gaza transition plan: Hamas to hand over administration to technocrats under US-brokered Board of Peace

Hamas says it will dissolve its Gaza administration once a nonpartisan technocratic panel takes over, under a US-brokered plan supervised by an international 'Board of Peace' to oversee disarmament, deployment of an international security force, Israeli troop pullbacks, and reconstruction; the technocrats and board members are not named, and their clearance by Israel and the US remains unresolved amid ongoing ceasefire tensions and casualties.

via Euronews.com|

#board-of-peace #gaza #hamas

middle-east4 months ago•4 min saved

Abbas Cleared After Routine Medical Tests in Ramallah Hospital

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, 90, was released from Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah after routine medical tests; WAFA said the results were reassuring and his health remains stable as he continues to oversee PA affairs.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#hospital #mahmoud-abbas #middle-east

middle-east5 months ago•4 min saved

Controversy Over Palestinian Authority's 'Pay-for-Slay' Policy and Its Impact

Palestinian Authority President Abbas faces protests and criticism after canceling the 'pay-for-slay' policy, replacing it with a needs-based system amid economic pressures and international criticism, sparking national debate over prisoners' rights and political integrity.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#abbas #fatah #middle-east

world5 months ago•2 min saved

Palestinians Arrested for Alleged Church Firebombing Amid Christmas Tensions

Three Palestinians were arrested in Jenin, West Bank, for allegedly setting fire to a Christmas tree and damaging a Nativity scene at a Catholic church, amid rising tensions and threats to the Christian community in the region. The church quickly replaced the damaged decorations, emphasizing unity and condemning the act as an isolated incident. The incident highlights ongoing sectarian and religious tensions in the area, which is facing increased violence and threats from both Israeli settlers and Palestinian extremists.

via AP News|

#arson #christianity #palestinian-authority

world6 months ago•2 min saved

US and UN Engage in Gaza Security and Stabilization Efforts

U.S. and Palestinian diplomats met at the UN to discuss a draft resolution for an international security force in Gaza, aiming to facilitate a transition of control from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority, with support from some European countries but opposition from Israel and disagreements over the PA's role.

via Axios|

#gaza #international-security-force #palestinian-authority

world8 months ago•12 min saved

Palestinian President Abbas Denounces Israeli Actions as Genocide at UN

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, condemned settlement expansion, and rejected Hamas's role in future governance, while addressing the UN remotely after US visa revocation. The article also covers international reactions, military actions, and geopolitical developments related to the conflict.

via The Guardian|

#gaza #israel #mahmoud-abbas