RAMALLAH, July 29, 2026 (WAFA) — Under the patronage of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the 11th National Conference of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) opened on Wednesday, in Beirut, Lebanon.
The conference began with the Lebanese and Palestinian national anthems, followed by a minute of silence in mourning for the Lebanese and Palestinian martyrs.
A total of 250 students from 45 countries, representing various Palestinian factions, are participating in the conference, along with others participating via Zoom due to circumstances preventing their attendance, as is the case in Gaza.
GUPS was founded in Cairo in 1959, while the second and third conferences were held in Gaza in 1961 and 1963, respectively. From this union emerged prominent leaders of the Palestinian people, including Yasser Arafat, Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi, Walid Khalidi, George Habash, Nayef Hawatmeh, and others.
An evening session will be held to verify the quorum, approve the conference membership, and elect the conference's presiding officers.
The conference will also include sessions to discuss working papers according to the committee assignments, draft final outputs, review the final reports of the working paper committees, and approve and ratify the papers and amendments to the union's constitution.
The conference will conclude with the announcement of the new Administrative Council and Executive Committee of the General Union of Palestine Students, followed by the adoption of the final communiqué and the publication of the conference's decisions and recommendations.
Y.S
