RAMALLAH, September 15, 2026 (WAFA) — Palestinian factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) today discussed preparations for the upcoming legislative and Palestinian National Council elections, as well as ways to strengthen the PLO's role and unify the Palestinian ranks amid current political and field challenges.
The meeting was attended by PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Azzam al-Ahmad, Executive Committee member and head of the Popular Organizations Department Wasel Abu Yousef, Palestinian economist Munib al-Masri, and representatives of Palestinian factions, political forces, and national figures.
Al-Ahmad said the main objective of the meeting, held at the PLO headquarters, was to discuss preparations for the elections, particularly those for the Legislative Council and National Council, in a way that would renew Palestinian institutions and strengthen their ability to confront ongoing challenges.
He said the meeting would also address efforts to unify the positions of the various PLO factions and independent national figures, enhancing their ability to confront Israeli policies aimed at annexing parts of the occupied West Bank and imposing new realities in Jerusalem.
Regarding the National Council elections, al-Ahmad said the legislative elections would form part of the process of renewing PLO institutions. He explained that elected members of the Legislative Council would constitute part of the National Council's composition, while the remaining members would be selected through consensus in accordance with agreed arrangements.
Abu Yousef said the meeting comes amid major challenges and risks facing the Palestinian cause, foremost among them the war on the Gaza Strip, accompanied by killing, destruction and siege, as well as escalating settlement activity and attacks in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem and attempts to impose new realities on the ground.
He said confronting these challenges requires strengthening the Palestinian internal front and achieving comprehensive national unity, stressing the importance of safeguarding Palestinian national rights, foremost among them the right of return, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Abu Yousef also underscored the importance of the PLO as the overarching national framework and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and called for strengthening the participation of various Palestinian factions and forces within its institutions to unify political and national efforts.
Al-Masri called for ending the division, closing ranks, and unifying the national vision, saying that national unity has become essential to protecting the Palestinian cause and strengthening the ability to confront current challenges.
He said the Palestinian national project is facing an extremely dangerous phase amid the war on Gaza, escalating settlement activity, annexation and settler attacks in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, and attempts to push Palestinians toward displacement or acceptance of a reality that undermines their national rights.
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