Current sectionMiddle East NewsPalestiniansShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeMahmoud Abbas with Hussein al-Sheikh (right), his son Yasser Abbas, and Marwan Barghouti below. Credit: OneArmedMan; AFP / Zain Jaafar. Photo illustration: Masha Zur-Glozman.As Gaza lies in ruins and the Palestinian Authority sinks deeper into crisis, Fatah's long-delayed conference is centered on one question: who will rule after Mahmoud Abbas?Jack Khoury04:11 PM • May 12 2026 IDTSix months after turning 90, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas still holds three titles. In addition to serving as president of the Palestinian Authority, he is also chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of Fatah, the largest faction in the organization.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:PalestiniansPalestinian AuthorityWest BankFatahMahmoud AbbasGazaCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesIraq-IsraelNetanyahu-Oct. 7Pizza Hut killingHezbollah DronesJonny GreenwoodHaQuizHaaretz PodcastU.S. Ambassador Says Israel Sent Iron Dome Batteries to UAE During Iran WarCould Israel's Participation Spell End of Eurovision?The Son, the Deputy, the Prisoner: Inside Fatah's Battle Over the post-Abbas EraNew Israeli Law Sets Special Military Tribunal for Hamas October 7 TerroristsReport: Hamas Sexual Violence 'Systematic and Integral' to October 7 AttacksRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIWhatsApp Co-founder Donates Record-breaking $200 Million to Jerusalem HospitalThe Mysterious Copper Scroll and the End of DaysLeaked Video of Arab Lawyer's Violent Arrest Contradicts Israel Police Account'A Slave Economy': Inside Israel's ultra-Orthodox Parallel StateConstruction Begins on Bypass Road to Bring 'One Million' Israelis to West BankZionism Didn't Go Wrong, It Was Always Built This Way