Abbas’s son sparks anger within Fatah as reports point to growing political role

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May 15, 2026 at 10:07 am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the 11th Summit of the Developing 8 Countries (D-8) held in Cairo, the capital of Egypt on December 19, 2024 [Egyptian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency]

Growing anger and internal debate are sweeping through the ranks of the Palestinian Fatah movement following reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking to promote his son, Yasser Abbas, to play an influential role within the movement’s Central Committee, as the eighth Fatah conference gets under way.

Yasser Abbas is being widely mentioned as a possible candidate for membership of the Central Committee, in a move that has drawn criticism from within Fatah circles, where some see it as an attempt to “inherit political and organisational influence” inside the movement.