Fatah opens 8th general congress in Ramallah, Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon

The Palestinian group Fatah is set to open its 8th general congress Thursday at the Palestinian presidency headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, along with simultaneous sessions in the Gaza Strip, Egypt, and Lebanon. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to open the congress, with diplomats including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, faction leaders, and academics expected to attend.

Participation numbers

About 2,580 members are taking part in the event, including 1,600 in Ramallah, 400 in Gaza, 400 in Cairo, and 200 in Beirut, according to the preparatory committee. The congress, running through Saturday, will elect 80 members of the Revolutionary Council and 18 members of the Central Committee.

'Exceptional moment'

Fatah Deputy Secretary General Sabri Saidam said the group's general congress is being held at an "exceptional moment" with the largest participation in its history, despite Israel's war on Gaza and political and field challenges. "For Gaza to be able to hold the conference amid this destruction is a major political and national message," he told Anadolu.

Historical context

Fatah held its first congress in Damascus in 1967. The eighth congress is the third held inside Palestine, after previous meetings in Bethlehem in 2009 and Ramallah in 2016. Political analysts say this year's congress comes at a complex political and security moment, amid the fallout from the Israeli war on Gaza and escalation in the West Bank.