Palestinian leadership body creates vice president role for first time

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Palestine's top leadership body has approved the creation of a vice president position, marking the first such change since the organisation’s founding in 1964.

The Palestinian Central Council approved the proposal to establish the position, which will also serve as the vice president of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

In a vote held on Thursday, 170 members participating in person and via Zoom backed the move, with one voting against and another abstaining.

The new role will not apply to the Palestinian Authority presidency, which is filled through direct elections.

The vice president will be appointed from within the Executive Committee, based on a nomination from its president and with the approval of the committee members. The president retains the power to assign responsibilities to the deputy, dismiss them, or accept their resignation.

The Palestinian Authority has long been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement, and has little popular support. Washington has been calling on it to introduce a series of reforms to better govern the occupied West Bank, and potentially Gaza after the war.

Mr Abbas has long been accused of sidelining his opponents and monopolising decision-making. The newly created position is widely viewed as a potential stepping stone for his eventual successor.

The Executive Committee is made up of 16 members, including three from Fatah, six representing different factions, and seven independents. However, the session was boycotted by four factions who criticised the meeting as having been called under external pressure and without adequate prior dialogue.

Hamas strongly condemned the session, accusing the PLO of “deepening Palestinian division and ignoring past reconciliation agreements,” including the Beijing deal, which called for a national unity government.

On Monday, the EU announced a long-anticipated financial support package of €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) for the Palestinian Authority at a meeting in Luxembourg between the bloc's 27 foreign ministers and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

Bloc officials said the PA would be expected to implement reforms for better governance and to show its ability to run not only the occupied West Bank but also Gaza, once the war there has ended.