RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to press ahead with reforms to the Palestinian Authority at a gathering of his Fatah party on Thursday, May 14, 2026, saying he was also prepared to hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections.
Speaking at the opening of the Fatah General Conference in Ramallah, Abbas said the party must modernize and address internal divisions. He called for unity among Palestinian factions, including Hamas, but did not provide a specific timeline for the elections.
The conference, the first in over a decade, comes amid declining popularity for Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Critics accuse the PA of authoritarianism and corruption.
Abbas also reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution with Israel, but stressed that any peace deal must be based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. No immediate response from Israeli officials was reported.
