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Palestinian Officials Pressure Abbas to Postpone Elections

A banner at Al-Aqsa Mosque calls for holding elections in East Jerusalem. (Wafa)
A banner at Al-Aqsa Mosque calls for holding elections in East Jerusalem. (Wafa)
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Palestinian Officials Pressure Abbas to Postpone Elections

A banner at Al-Aqsa Mosque calls for holding elections in East Jerusalem. (Wafa)
A banner at Al-Aqsa Mosque calls for holding elections in East Jerusalem. (Wafa)

More and more Palestinian officials have stated that President Mahmoud Abbas may postpone the upcoming parliamentary elections, a move increasingly opposed by the Hamas movement and other electoral lists.

Nabil Shaath, an advisor Abbas, was among the latest officials to warn that elections are “very likely” to be delayed if Israel continues to bar voting in East Jerusalem.

A senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official told Kan 11 News on Wednesday that he believes there is a high probability that the elections, which are scheduled for May 22, will be delayed.

“Currently, there is a 90 percent chance that the election will be postponed,” the source said.

According to the report, Abbas has not yet decided on whether to postpone the polls, even after a series of discussions on the issue that took place this week in Ramallah.

Kan 11 News reported that the pressure on Abbas has increased in recent days.

Among other things, Fatah officials fear that the internal divisions within the party ahead of the polls may allow Hamas to gain a foothold that would adversely affect relations between the PA and Israel and the administration in Washington.

Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, Head of the General Intelligence Service Major General Majed Faraj, as well as other Fatah officials and heads of the security services are among the officials pressuring Abbas, the report noted.

Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem are due to vote on May 22 ahead of a planned presidential election in July.

The Palestinian leadership is supposed to hold an expanded meeting in the next few days, headed by Abbas, to review options related to holding the polls.

So far, Palestinian officials have stated that they are committed to the elections provided that they take place throughout occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.

“No elections without Jerusalem,” stressed Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Youssef.

The leadership is currently waiting for the results of international efforts to pressure Israel in this regard, he told Voice of Palestine radio on Thursday.

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Sudan's al-Burhan: There Are No Preconditions for Dialogue

Al-Burhan delivers his speech at the United Nations in New York, September 26, 2024. (EPA)
Al-Burhan delivers his speech at the United Nations in New York, September 26, 2024. (EPA)
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Sudan's al-Burhan: There Are No Preconditions for Dialogue

Al-Burhan delivers his speech at the United Nations in New York, September 26, 2024. (EPA)
Al-Burhan delivers his speech at the United Nations in New York, September 26, 2024. (EPA)

Sudanese Armed Forces Chief and Sovereign Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), of betrayal for rejecting agreements reached during the Jeddah talks, which were brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Burhan emphasized that he is not setting preconditions but is calling for the implementation of previous agreements between the two sides.

His remarks on Friday came amid intense diplomatic moves during the 79th UN General Assembly in New York. Saudi Arabia announced that its aid to Sudan had exceeded $3 billion, while the United States urged for humanitarian ceasefires, especially in the Darfur region.

At a press conference following his participation in the UN meetings, Burhan said that Sudan is facing a conspiracy involving internal political forces and some regional and international powers, aiming to change the government through armed force.

When asked by Asharq Al-Awsat whether he would negotiate with Hemedti without preconditions based on the Jeddah Agreement, Burhan reiterated that what he seeks is the execution of what was already agreed upon in Jeddah.

He stressed that the parties and mediators had agreed on specific military and security measures, including leadership and budget details. Burhan insisted that until these agreements are implemented, there will be no further negotiations with those who "betray their promises."

The head of the sovereign country dismissed international accusations that both he and Hemedti are putting personal interests above the nation’s well-being. He asserted that the conflict is not a battle between two generals but a war against the Sudanese people and state.

Sudan was a focal point during the UN meetings, with a ministerial session titled, "The Cost of Inaction: Urgent and Collective Support to Scale Up the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region."

The session, led by Saudi Arabia, the US, Egypt, the African Union, and the EU, called for an end to the war and expanded humanitarian efforts in Sudan and neighboring regions.

Joyce Msuya, acting coordinator for UN emergency relief, emphasized the need for a coordinated diplomatic push to improve humanitarian access and streamline the delivery of aid across borders and conflict lines. She urged member states to support increasing aid through Chad’s Adré crossing and extending its operation beyond the initial three-month period. In light of funding shortages, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund allocated $25 million to address famine and acute food insecurity in Sudan.

For her part, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield called for humanitarian pauses in the fighting, particularly in El-Fasher and Khartoum, to allow aid delivery and civilian evacuation.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF), revealed that Saudi Arabia’s aid to Sudan has surpassed $3 billion. He highlighted that the center had intensified its efforts after the outbreak of the conflict, implementing more than 70 humanitarian projects worth over $73 million in collaboration with UN agencies and other organizations.

Al-Rabeeah further stressed that the challenges posed by Sudan's crisis require collective efforts to provide unrestricted humanitarian assistance and sustainable, coordinated responses to ensure safe access to affected areas.