Summary
Palestinian leaders in the West Bank recently convened for the first time in years, leading to Mahmoud Abbas appointing Hussein al-Sheikh as his deputy, potentially signaling an heir or merely a superficial change to appease Arab officials amid ongoing crises. With over 50,000 Palestinians reported killed in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority, struggling for relevance and facing internal dissent, has not held elections since 2006, and Abbas has consolidated power rather than reform. Despite international pressure for leadership changes, Abbas’s actions suggest he remains reluctant to relinquish control.
