Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed his long-time aide Hussein al-Sheikh as Vice President of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Al Jazeera reported.
On Saturday, PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yousef confirmed that al-Sheikh, a senior figure within Abbas’s Fatah movement, was named “deputy (vice president) of the PLO leadership.” Al-Sheikh, 64, is a veteran political leader and a close confidant of Abbas.
The appointment follows Abbas’s decision earlier this week to create the vice president’s role during the 32nd session of the Palestinian Central Council in Ramallah. The PLO Executive Committee is also expected to convene next Saturday to select a new secretary-general.
During the Council session, Abbas emphasized his commitment to launching a “comprehensive national dialogue” aimed at reconciling all Palestinian factions and strengthening national unity. According to reports from Palestinian news agency WAFA, he also outlined political initiatives to end what he described as Israel’s “aggression and war of genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
These initiatives include securing the swift delivery of humanitarian aid, establishing full Palestinian governance over Gaza, and pressing for an Israeli withdrawal from the territory — seen as a precursor to advancing toward the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The move to appoint a vice president is widely viewed as part of broader reforms demanded by international actors, who are looking to strengthen the PLO’s role and envision an expanded mandate for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in a post-war Gaza.
Founded in 1964, the PLO is the official representative body of the Palestinian people in international affairs, while the PA is charged with administrative governance over parts of the occupied Palestinian territories. The PLO includes several Palestinian factions, though notably excludes Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.
