The PLO Central Council is expected to convene soon to approve the creation of a new position in the Palestinian leadership: a deputy to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Senior PA officials state that appointing a deputy to the 89-year-old Abbas would be the clearest indication yet that the PA is undergoing real change and that the leading candidate for the position is Hussein al-Sheikh, a close associate of Abbas.
The Council is expected to meet in the coming days to discuss establishing this new senior role. Abbas currently holds three titles simultaneously: head of the PLO, president of the PA, and head of the Fatah movement.
This meeting is considered exceptional and is intended to conclude a broad series of reforms and changes – among the most extensive since the PA was established.
Abbas initiated these reforms in recent weeks in response to mounting internal and external pressure stemming from the complex situation created by the war in the Gaza Strip.
Approximately 180 members of the Council have been invited to attend the two-day meeting, scheduled to take place in Ramallah starting on April 23, 2025. During the session, the Council will discuss creating the deputy position.
During the emergency Arab League summit held in Cairo on March 4, 2025, Abbas announced his intention to implement changes within the PA. In his brief address, he emphasized plans to appoint a deputy, amend the PLO’s basic charter, restructure the governing institutions of the State of “Palestine,” and inject new energy into the organization, the Fatah movement, and state institutions.
He also declared his intention to issue a general amnesty for those expelled from Fatah and to take the necessary organizational steps to implement this.
At its upcoming meeting, the Council is expected to discuss a range of topics, including restoring PA control over the Gaza Strip, achieving national unity, and establishing the role of deputy to the PLO chairman. However, this does not necessarily mean that a person will be appointed to the post now.
Senior Fatah officials describe two possible scenarios:
- The role of deputy will be created, but its responsibilities and authorities will be left for Abbas to define.
- A deputy will be chosen at the Council meeting itself.
A senior Fatah official commented, “The key point is that the decision to create a deputy role has been made. This is one of the most significant steps toward the demanded reforms, ensuring a smooth leadership transition in case the president’s position becomes vacant.”
The idea of appointing a deputy to the Palestinian president has been under discussion for years, especially since Hamas took control of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the 2006 elections and given Abbas’s advanced age.
According to the PA’s Basic Law, if the president’s position becomes vacant due to death or incapacity, the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council serves as acting president for 60 days, during which general presidential elections must be held.
However, Abbas dissolved the Legislative Council several years ago. Late last year, he issued a constitutional decree stating that if the presidency becomes vacant, the head of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) will serve as acting president for 90 days, after which presidential elections will take place.
The War Changed the Rules of the Game
Abbas might have postponed appointing a deputy and left the situation as it was. However, the war in Gaza has upended all previous calculations and placed the PA in a difficult position under a barrage of criticism from Israel, the United States, and even Arab states.
Senior Fatah sources say that Arab countries, the United States, and European nations have conditioned any post-war aid for strengthening the PA on implementing extensive reforms and changes.
This demand, long pushed by the United States, has resurfaced strongly – and this time, Abbas realized he could not ignore it.
PA officials confirm that appointing a deputy to the aging president would be the clearest signal yet that the PA is genuinely reforming. Such a deputy – who would be granted broad authority, nearly equivalent to an “acting president” – is also expected to lead a restructured security apparatus and a relatively new government.
Last year, Abbas dismissed his entire cabinet and appointed a new government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, his close confidant.
In recent weeks, Abbas spearheaded a major initiative that involved replacing the heads of all the security agencies and appointing new directors – most of them, for the first time, from within his Presidential Guard.
A Palestinian security source noted that the selections were made with great care. “Most of them come from the Presidential Guard, giving Abbas greater control over the security forces – and, by extension, over the person who will succeed him.”
Some of the new appointments include General Iyad al-Aqra as director of the General Intelligence Service, General Nidal Shahin as head of Military Intelligence, General Al-Abed Ibrahim Khalil as commander of the National Security Forces, General Anwar Rajab as Commissioner for Political and National Guidance, and General Akram Thawabteh as head of Civil Defense.
Shortly before these appointments, Allam al-Saqqa was promoted to the rank of general and appointed as the Palestinian Police Commissioner.
Not stopping there, Abbas issued a presidential decree retiring hundreds of brigadier generals earlier this month.
Among the recent reform measures, the PA also changed the mechanism for paying monthly stipends to terrorists and sent a message to the American administration indicating that real changes would be implemented starting June 1.
Replacing General Intelligence Chief Majed Faraj
According to senior PA sources, Abbas is now planning another dramatic step – replacing his longtime intelligence chief, General Majed Faraj.
Faraj, the last remaining head of a PA security agency still in office, is expected to transition to another position within the PLO Executive Committee or Fatah’s Central Committee.
It is still unclear who will be chosen as the PLO deputy or whether that person will also be appointed as Abbas’s deputy within the PA.
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the PLO Executive Committee, is considered the leading candidate. However, significant internal opposition may arise from within the Fatah movement – particularly from members of its Central Committee, such as Jibril Rajoub and Mahmoud Al-Aloul, who view themselves as more deserving. Even high-profile terrorists in Israeli jails, like Marwan Barghouti, may be seen as contenders.
Senior Israeli political sources say it is too early to assess Abbas’s seriousness regarding the deputy appointment.
They recommend waiting for the outcome of the PLO Central Council meeting before forming any conclusions about a process that has not yet materialized.
