PA’s Abbas being flown to Germany for medical treatment

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, 85, is currently being taken to Germany for medical treatment, according to Palestinian media reports.

In videos circulating in Palestinian media, a helicopter can be seen landing on Abbas’s office in Ramallah to ferry him to Amman. From there, Abbas will reportedly be taken to Germany.

A spokesperson for Abbas’s office could not be reached for comment on the president’s condition. Abbas, a longtime smoker, has a long history of health issues, ranging from heart trouble to a battle with prostate cancer more than a decade ago.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting with the Palestinian leadership to discuss the United Arab Emirates’ deal with Israel to normalize relations, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 18, 2020. (Mohamad Torokman/Pool via AP)

Rumors regarding Abbas’s health have been rampant, and Palestinian officials have worked to tamp down unconfirmed reports and keep the president’s health issues out of the public eye.

The current trip to Germany will not be Abbas’s first. The Palestinian Authority president headed to Berlin in 2019 for medical treatment.