Palestinians establish vice presidency post, no candidate named yet

The Palestinian leadership has approved the creation of a vice president position for Mahmoud Abbas, potentially paving the way for a successor, aimed at addressing international concerns about Palestinian leadership. In a vote by 170 members of the Palestinian Central Council, only one voted against while another abstained; however, no appointment has been made yet. Abbas, who has led the PLO and PA since 2004, retains the authority to assign and dismiss the deputy, amid ongoing limitations of the Palestinian Authority’s governance, particularly in Gaza.