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.



Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
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Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters

Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Syria.

The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad.

But Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.

"Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December," Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates, AFP reported.

It is "a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions," he said.

"This proves that we need political solutions -- not another wave of instability and displacement."

After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed.

But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion.

Earlier this month, UNHCR estimated that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons may return by the end of 2025.