Palestinian President Seeks to Place Son on Fatah Central Committee

The 90-year-old president of the Palestinian Authority is seeking to place his son, a 64-year-old businessman, on the central committee of the Fatah party. The central committee serves as the executive body of 18 members that holds most of the power in the West Bank and is chaired by the president.

The party is scheduled to renew its leadership on May 14 for the first time since 2016. A Fatah official said everyone has the right to stand as a candidate. The official added that the president's son should have that same right. The statement was made amid the near-bankruptcy of the Palestinian Authority, entrenched corruption, Israel's actions in the West Bank and the war in Gaza.

Power within the Palestinian Authority remains largely concentrated in the hands of the president, who has held office since 2005, and his vice president, who is seen as a likely successor. The various Palestinian institutions are layered, with Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority nested within each other.

The central committee is meant to determine the party's direction.

The president was photographed in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on December 22, 2025. The upcoming congress marks the first leadership renewal for Fatah in a decade. The son's potential placement has drawn criticism related to the unpopularity of current leaders.

The origins of the son's business fortune have previously been the subject of controversy. The central committee plays a role similar to a political bureau in setting the direction for Fatah, which remains the dominant party in the West Bank.