Fatah Warns al-Qudwa against Fielding Separate List in Palestinian Elections

Palestinian parliamentary elections are set for May 22 amid discord in the Fatah movement. (AFP)
Palestinian parliamentary elections are set for May 22 amid discord in the Fatah movement. (AFP)
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Fatah Warns al-Qudwa against Fielding Separate List in Palestinian Elections

Palestinian parliamentary elections are set for May 22 amid discord in the Fatah movement. (AFP)
Palestinian parliamentary elections are set for May 22 amid discord in the Fatah movement. (AFP)

Fatah warned its Central Committee member Nasser al-Qudwa against fielding a separate list in the upcoming legislative elections to compete against the movement.

Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub threatened to dismiss Qudwa from his post if he went forward with the move.

The committee is expected to discuss the issue during a meeting chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday.

Rajoub’s threat followed a tweet by committee member Hussein al-Sheikh, in which he affirmed that Fatah movement would submit a unified list for the polls.

In a Facebook post, Sheikh stressed that Fatah aims to consolidate democracy, maintain the national liberation project and protect national unity.

Prominent former and current officials in Fatah are preparing new electoral lists that could test the movement's unity and strength.

This could also pose a new challenge that might affect the presidential elections.

Qudwa, 67, a nephew of former Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Yasser Arafat, had announced the establishment of the Palestinian National Democratic Forum that would run in the elections, stressing that he was trying to return Fatah back on the right path.

He said he was opposed to the understanding reached between Fatah and Hamas, explaining that it will not help in resolving the internal division.

He also said he was opposed to prominent imprisoned Fatah member Marwan Barghouti’s running in the elections.

Member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council Hatem Abdel Qader told Asharq Al-Awsat that Barghouti is aware of the importance of the legislative elections.

Abdel Qader, who is close to Barghouti, confirmed that the detainee will run in the presidential elections, not the parliamentary polls, which are scheduled for May 22.

Sacked prominent Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan had also announced he would field a separate list.



Türkiye to Seek Lifting of Syria Sanctions, Erdogan Tells Sharaa

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
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Türkiye to Seek Lifting of Syria Sanctions, Erdogan Tells Sharaa

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday that Türkiye will continue its diplomatic efforts to lift international sanctions against Syria, Erdogan’s office said.

During their meeting at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Erdogan said efforts should be increased to revitalize trade and economic cooperation with Syria and that Türkiye will continue to provide support to the country, the statement said.

Türkiye is an influential actor in neighboring Syria as opposition groups it supported during the civil war took power last December. However, the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad aggravated already tense relations between Türkiye and Israel, with their conflicting interests pushing the relationship toward a possible collision course.

When Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House last month, he advised him to be “reasonable” in his dealings with Ankara.

Erdogan told the forum in Antalya: “We are in a state of understanding and close dialogue with influential actors in the region, especially Trump and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, in preserving the territorial integrity of Syria."

As if to underline this position, Sharaa sat just two places away from Erdogan’s seat in the hall.

It was Sharaa’s second trip to Türkiye as leader after Erdogan welcomed him to the capital Ankara in February.

In an apparent warning, Erdogan said that “no-one should misunderstand our cool-headedness and our stance of resolving issues through dialogue.”

The president has been a vocal critic of Israel’s operations in Gaza.