Palestinian leader Abbas appointed Hussein Al -Sheikh as a deputy amid the concerns of the caliphate

Palestinian leaders in the West Bank occupied by Israel this week met for the first time of its kind in years. Their mission: to allow Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, to appoint a long time for a large position in the newly stipulated.

On Saturday night, Mr. Abbas officially named Hussein Al -Sheikh, a close close to him, as his deputy. Some analysts believed that the promotion of Mr. Al Sheikh indicated that Mr. Abbas, 89, was indicating that Mr. Al Sheikh was his preferred heir, while others saw this as a cosmetic amendment to frustrate Arab officials frustrated by the Palestinian leader.

For many Palestinians, the focus of their leadership on the policy of the palace with the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and sparked a comprehensive Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank on tens of thousands of people, and raised more satisfaction of the Palestinian Authority backed by Western.

“The ship is drowning, and everyone is fighting around who will sit at any table,” said Jaith Ummari, former adviser to Mr. Abbas and his first colleague at the Washington Institute for East Policy.

More than 50,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza, according to local health officials, who are not distinguished by civilians and fighters. The war with the Hamas attack began on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.

The war shed light on the Palestinian cause and motivated protests all over the world. But the weak and internally divided Palestinian Authority – the internationally recognized Palestinian actor – struggled for importance.

In a speech on Wednesday, they are talking about the conference, Mr. Abbas mostly repeated The familiar conversation points condemning the Israel campaign in Gaza. He also condemned his competitors in Hamas, describing them as “dogs’ children” and demanding the release of the remaining hostages.

It was established during the Israeli -Palestinian peace talks in the 1990s, the Palestinian Authority still supervises parts of the West Bank occupied by the Israeli. Many Palestinians were hoping that the commission would one day tide an independent state, but the negotiations to this end stumbled in the early first decade of the twentieth century in the face of increased violence.

An important part of the ruling Israeli coalition’s support for an unspecified Israeli control in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel also confiscates regularly and blocking large pieces of the Palestinian budget, as it is financially stumbled on the government of Mr. Abbas.

At home, the vast majority of Palestinians want Mr. Abbas to step down. Some support its competitors in Hamas, on the pretext that the diplomatic approach to the Palestinian Authority has failed. In response, Mr. Abbas unified power and unified critics.

Amid the war in Gaza, the Biden administration and its Arab allies urged Mr. Abbas to reform power. Many Western officials have seen this as a possible alternative to Hamas and hope they can operate the Gaza tape after the war.

But Arab officials and Arab officials suggested that Mr. Abbas be abandoned at least some force, which he hated doing. The Palestinians have not held national elections since 2006, when the faction of Mr. Abbas Vivah lost to Hamas in the ballot box.

One of the requests for Mr. Abbas was the appointment of a prime minister authorized to rehabilitate the governance of the Palestinian Authority and fight corruption. Instead, he named one of his closest aides, Mohamed Mustafa, to the post, who saw many observers as More than the same thing.

Arab leaders also pressed Mr. Abbas to deal more seriously with the issue of who might succeed him, including by appointing a deputy trying to ensure continuity in the event of his death, according to two Palestinian officials and a Western diplomat, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.

During a meeting in the summer of 2024, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pressed Mr. Abbas to appoint a vice president.

On Saturday night, the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization approved the request of Mr. Abbas to give Mr. Sheikh the title of Vice -President of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Mr. Sheikh also said on social media that he is now carrying the title of “Vice President of the State of Palestine.”

“The primary goal of Aubas is to reduce the pressure of the Arabs,” said Jihad Harb, a political analyst based in Ramallah. “But it is still unclear whether he is already giving up power.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the appointment of Mr. Sheikh on Saturday, saying that he was ready to “strengthen the Palestinian political system.”

Mr. Sheikh has long worked closely with his Israeli and American counterparts, who often describe him as a moderate practical. Many Palestinians see it as a symbol of the Palestinian Authority’s failures and the symbol of the current situation.

But what may happen if Mr. Abbas dies in his position is still mysterious, as he refused to appoint a clear heir, step down or allow democratic elections. The result was a struggle for power between senior Palestinian officials who compete for the position before his death.