Palestinian nationalist party, leading faction of the PLO
Fatah's eighth general conference in Ramallah is underway with 2,580 delegates electing the movement’s Central Committee and Revolutionary Council. Abbas has pledged reforms and elections, while questions about succession, internal divisions and funding pressures loom as Hamas calls for Palestinian unity.
Palestinian Fatah has begun its 8th General Conference with around 2,580 delegates across Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo and Beirut to elect the Central Committee and Revolutionary Council, amid questions about succession to President Mahmoud Abbas and the movement’s future.
Fatah has held its eighth General Conference and has re-elected Mahmoud Abbas as movement chair while voters have elected a new Central Committee. Marwan Barghouti has topped the vote, Majed Faraj and Jibril Rajoub have won seats, and Yasser Abbas has secured a place on the Central Committee.
Hamas has dissolved its emergency committee and says it will hand Gaza’s administration to a US-backed technocratic National Committee, aiming to demonstrate readiness to implement the ceasefire and advance reconstruction, while disarmament remains unresolved. Negotiations with mediators continue as the board assesses all actions.
The US-backed Board of Peace has scaled back its Gaza reconstruction plan to a small pilot camp near Rafah and authorised limited international stabilisation personnel. Hamas has dissolved its Gaza governing body but has not agreed to disarm. Israel has refused major troop withdrawals, continued strikes and delayed legal agreements needed for larger deployments; large-scale rebuilding is unlikely before Israel's October election.
Iran has engaged in talks with Oman and Turkey on Hormuz tensions. Officials report Israel’s strikes on Gaza and Lebanon continue, amid condemnations and calls for accountability. Qatar urges diplomacy as US-Iran tensions persist; Amnesty International accuses Israel of targeting civilians in Lebanon, prompting international scrutiny.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at 74, Qatar's Amiri Diwan has announced. He has been credited with transforming Qatar into an energy and diplomatic power by expanding LNG production, founding Al Jazeera, building sovereign investment vehicles and stepping down voluntarily in 2013 to hand power to his son.
Hamas has announced it will dissolve its Gaza governing body and transfer civilian administration to a US-backed technocratic committee, the NCAG, aiming to unlock Gaza’s political future. The move follows persistent negotiations on security, disarmament and oversight, while Israel’s response and regional dynamics shape the path forward.
Eisenkot has surged in polls as his Yashar party leads Likud in some surveys for the October 27 election, with calls for stronger security and universal service forming the core of his platform. Netanyahu faces a shifting coalition dynamic as security concerns and politics collide.
Hamas has elected Khalil al-Hayya as head of its political bureau, succeeding Yahya Sinwar who was killed in 2024. The vote follows a wartime leadership transition and reflects tensions between Gaza-based leadership and diaspora factions, with al-Hayya seen as aligned with Tehran and a continuing hardline stance.
The Board of Peace-backed roadmap has reached a final draft in Cairo, with Hamas accepting the framework while stipulations hinge on Israel’s withdrawal and disarmament. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey push for a staged implementation, though Netanyahu’s position on disarmament and the timing of a withdrawal keep the plan in flux amid Israel’s elections.