Leaders of the main Palestinian political faction, Fatah, are meeting for their first major conference in a decade to elect the movement’s top decision-making body, as public frustration with President Mahmoud Abbas intensifies. The 90-year-old leader was re-elected as head of the party and pledged reforms and long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections, though he did not provide a timetable.

The gathering comes amid mounting political and economic pressure. The Palestinian Authority faces accusations of corruption, political stagnation and declining legitimacy, while Israel continues to withhold billions of dollars in tax revenues, worsening a financial crisis that has left many civil servants receiving partial salaries. At the same time, war in Gaza and expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem have further weakened the Palestinian leadership.

Opinion polls show widespread dissatisfaction, with a large majority of Palestinians wanting Abbas to resign. Anger over alleged cronyism and continued security coordination with Israel has deepened public discontent. The candidacy of Abbas’s eldest son for a senior party role has also raised concerns about nepotism.

While party officials describe the conference as a show of unity and renewal, internal divisions and succession maneuvering are evident. Key figures are positioning themselves for a potential post-Abbas era, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the future direction of Fatah and the broader Palestinian national movement.