Abbas to chair meeting of Palestinian faction leaders, including heads of Hamas and Islamic Jihad

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will chair a meeting on Thursday of leaders of major Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to the PA official WAFA news agency.

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian Islamic Jihad chief Ziyad al-Nakhaleh have announced in press releases they intend to join the conference. Haniyeh is currently based in Turkey, while al-Nakhaleh lives in Damascus. The WAFA report says that faction leaders who cannot attend the meeting in Ramallah will join by videoconference.

According to Fatah Secretary General Jibril Rajoub, the meeting will constitute the “launch of a joint national position to thwart the Deal of the Century,” a term which Palestinians use to refer to the controversial peace plan advanced by US President Donald Trump.

— Aaron Boxerman