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Putin, Abbas Discuss Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet in Sochi in November. (EPA)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet in Sochi in November. (EPA)
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Putin, Abbas Discuss Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet in Sochi in November. (EPA)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet in Sochi in November. (EPA)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed in a telephone call the latest Palestinian developments and the mechanisms for advancing the settlement in the Middle East.

A statement by the Kremlin said Putin and Abbas exchanged warm greetings on the upcoming New Year.

The two sides reiterated the need to resume constructive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as soon as possible, under the auspices of the International Quartet.

A statement by the Palestinian presidency noted that Abbas also stressed the importance of Israel stopping all unilateral measures, such as settlements, confiscation of land, demolishing homes, expelling Palestinians from Jerusalem, abusing prisoners, holding the bodies of martyrs, and stopping settler terrorism.

Abbas emphasized that economic and security steps are not a substitute for political efforts.

Israel continues to stifle the Palestinian economy and deduct from the tax revenues, said Abbas, who warned that the Palestinians would take decisive decisions in this regard, especially as the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is getting ready to convene an important meeting.

He reiterated the importance of starting political efforts based on United Nations resolutions and the importance of holding a meeting for the International Quartet at the ministerial level.

He had discussed this demand during his visit to Moscow last month.

Ahead of the visit, Russia stressed its aim to revive the work of the International Quartet.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed disappointment over the failure of "some parties" to accept the repeated Russian invitation to hold a meeting at the level of foreign ministers.

The committee, which includes Russia, the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union, had held three meetings via video conference and at the delegates' level in recent months.

However, Moscow stressed the need to organize a meeting at the ministerial level to advance the process and take decisions.

During Abbas' visit, Putin stressed that Russia's "firm position on the Palestinian issue has not changed."

He underlined his country's commitment to a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "based on the relevant international resolutions and within the framework of a just solution that achieves the interests of all parties."

"The Palestinian problem must be resolved following previous UN Security Council resolutions, on a just basis that takes into account the interests of all," he said, pledging to "continue to work towards achieving this goal, no matter how difficult it is."

Abbas had warned: "If the two-state solution is not implemented, there will be other alternatives, including going to a one-state solution for all Palestinian and Israeli citizens living on the land of historic Palestine, or returning to the partition resolution issued in 1947."

Palestinian sources said Abbas called on Moscow to pressure Israel to end the "unilateral actions," pointing out that the Palestinian officials welcome any expansion of Russia's role.

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Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
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Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 

The brief detention of Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), by Syrian authorities has renewed scrutiny over the status of Palestinian factions still operating in Syria, particularly those that aligned with the former Assad regime.

Naji’s arrest and swift release come amid a major political realignment following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Once one of the most active and heavily armed Palestinian groups in Syria, the PFLP-GC now faces an uncertain future, along with other factions that were long tolerated—or even supported—under Assad’s rule.

A well-informed Palestinian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new Syrian administration has appointed a figure known as Abu Abdul Rahman al-Shami to oversee the file of Palestinian factions. Since assuming the role, al-Shami has convened multiple meetings with faction representatives, including regular attendees from the PFLP-GC, to discuss the fate of their fighters, weapons, property, and military infrastructure.

According to the source, al-Shami has made it clear that the new government intends to hold accountable any individuals or groups implicated in crimes against Syrian civilians during the civil war. Palestinian factions have been instructed to surrender all weapons and military equipment, and to limit their activities to humanitarian and relief work. The PFLP-GC, the source said, has largely complied.

Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Naji and much of the PFLP-GC’s second- and third-tier leadership have remained in Syria. Its offices in Damascus reportedly continue to operate, though under heightened scrutiny. Other faction leaders, however, have fled. Among them are Khaled Abdul Majid (Popular Struggle Front), Ziyad al-Saghir (Fatah–Intifada), Mohammad al-Saeed (Liwa al-Quds), and Saed Abdel Al (Free Palestine Movement). Most are believed to have sought refuge in Lebanon.

Sources confirmed that several PFLP-GC fighters have been detained in recent weeks in connection with alleged war crimes committed during their cooperation with Assad’s forces. The Syrian government has also moved to seize faction offices and military installations across the country, including properties belonging to Fatah–Intifada, the Free Palestine Movement, and the Sa’iqa Forces. Sa’iqa’s leader, Mohammad Qais, remains in Syria.

In a further blow, authorities have reportedly frozen bank accounts belonging to some Palestinian factions, both in state and private banks, although it remains unclear whether the PFLP-GC is among them.

Additionally, it is widely believed that the PFLP-GC has handed over its military training camps, which were previously spread across Damascus countryside, Daraa, Aleppo, and Suwayda. “The situation is extremely sensitive, and everyone is anxious,” one Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It’s likely they’ve surrendered those sites.”

The sense of unease deepened last month when Syrian authorities detained two senior Islamic Jihad officials in Damascus: Khaled Khaled, head of the group’s Syria bureau, and Abu Ali Yasser, its chief organizational officer. Both remain in custody, and no official charges have been announced.

The current atmosphere of fear and uncertainty has driven faction leaders to avoid public comment. Most now insist on anonymity when speaking to local or international media.

Before the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in March 2011, Syria hosted more than a dozen Palestinian factions. As the conflict escalated, the Assad regime encouraged the formation of new pro-regime groups, composed largely of Palestinian refugees, to fight alongside its forces.