Palestine: Palestinian Unity, Leadership and Strategy

Summary

Palestinian factions pledged unity in Beijing in 2024, but the PLO's legitimacy remains disputed, Gaza's new governing body is accused of sidelining Palestinian sovereignty, and PA elections have again been postponed.

What it argues

1. Unity pact and PLO legitimacy

   In July 2024, 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, signed a China-brokered Beijing Declaration pledging unity under the PLO and a joint Gaza/West Bank reconciliation government; Islamic Jihad rejected the circulated text as inaccurate, while Israel and the US criticised Hamas's inclusion. Al-Shabaka analysts say Abbas has continued ruling the PLO and PA "by diktat," prompting debate over whether to reform the PLO's institutions or build a new representative body instead. Fatah's Central Council called for a Palestinian National Council meeting, but its terms and the representation of excluded factions remain undefined. The 2024 unity pledge has not settled disputes over who legitimately represents Palestinians.

2. Gaza's technocratic governance

   The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a 15-member body chaired by Ali Shaath, was set up under Trump's Board of Peace and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Shaath called for Palestinians to unite under "one law, one authority, one weapon," language Al-Shabaka's Yara Hawari says signals expanding PA/Abbas control over Gaza. Hawari argues the NCAG excludes Palestinian sovereignty and functions as a managerial tool rather than a path to recovery. Gaza's post-war governance is being built under US oversight with limited Palestinian political agency, Al-Shabaka argues.

3. Elections postponed again

   Abbas postponed November legislative elections and set a joint presidential and legislative vote for September 11, 2027, citing Israeli restrictions and incomplete Gaza arrangements. Israel's Gideon Saar dismissed the justification as a "ridiculous lie" meant to evade accountability, noting no Palestinian election has been held since 2005-06. The decree also cited the need for a national dialogue to strengthen Palestinian unity before voting. Elections already two decades overdue have been delayed again, with Abbas and Israel disputing the reasons.

4. Funding left unresolved

   Israel continues withholding Palestinian tax revenues, which Abbas's decree cites as a factor hampering election preparations. NCAG chair Shaath was vague about the committee's funding, citing Arab states as possible sources, and evasive on member salaries. Both PA finances and Gaza's reconstruction body depend on external funding whose terms remain undefined.