The 87-year-old leader suffers from heart problems and overcame prostate cancer over 10 years ago. The line of succession at the PA in the event of Abbas' death in office remains unclear, which could plunge the Palestinian leadership into chaos.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash said the duty of Palestinians was to “defend” not only themselves Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque, but nothing less than "Islam, the Koran and the entire Islamic nation" from Israel.
PA leader's position in his own party rattled as his Fatah officials challenge his political appointments, demand he takes steps to prove Fatah "is the real Palestinian leadership," not Hamas.
PA president informs US, Egypt, and Jordan of plans to rescind its recognition of Israel. In call with Blinken, Abbas demands US remove PLO from the terror blacklist and open consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem.
Palestinian factions claim massive security forces' presence in the capital proves that Israel "cowers before our people's heroic steadfastness in the face of the occupation." Hamas, Islamic Jihad threatens reprisal.
Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, tells Al-Jazeera that during last year's Operation Guardian of the Walls, intelligence officers from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps worked together in a joint command and control center inside Gaza.
Hussein al-Sheikh, who is viewed as a potential successor to Mahmoud Abbas, replaces the late Saeb Erekat.
The Hamas-affiliated Islamic Allegiance Bloc takes 28 seats out of 51 total, while the Fatah-linked Yasser Arafat Bloc garners just 18, signaling dwindling support for the Palestinian Authority and growing support for the terror group.
The terror group is said to have requested Doha increase its monthly aid to the Gaza Strip to $30 million.
In a video message, Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades terrorists are seen in tunnels preparing to fire rockets. The video ends with a caption in Hebrew and Arabic reading, "Your destiny is death if you enter Gaza."
