Mahmoud Abbas, the 90-year-old Palestinian Authority president and Fatah leader, remains in office despite ongoing questions about his health and long-term tenure. At the Fatah general conference in mid-May 2026, delegates unanimously re-elected him as movement leader while he pledged reforms, municipal elections already held, and broader presidential and parliamentary votes later in the year following the 2025 Gaza ceasefire. Recent medical tests in Ramallah have renewed speculation over succession, with Abbas issuing a constitutional decree naming PLO deputy Hussein al-Sheikh as interim successor for up to 90 days pending elections and reports of efforts to elevate his son Yasser within party structures. These developments, alongside Fatah’s internal dynamics and external pressure for leadership renewal, shape trader assessments of when Abbas might step aside.