The Palestinian movement Fatah is set to begin its eighth general congress in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, with parallel sessions taking place in Gaza, Cairo and Beirut.
The gathering will officially open at the Palestinian presidency headquarters under the leadership of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Several diplomats, political faction representatives and academics are expected to attend, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
According to the organizing committee, nearly 2,580 members are participating in the congress. Around 1,600 delegates are attending in Ramallah, while 400 are joining from Gaza, another 400 from Cairo and approximately 200 from Beirut.
The three-day congress will continue through Saturday and is expected to elect 80 members to the Revolutionary Council alongside 18 members of the Central Committee. The final numbers may change in line with the movement’s internal regulations.
Fatah Deputy Secretary-General Sabri Saidam described the congress as taking place during an extraordinary period marked by the ongoing war in Gaza and rising political and security pressures.
Speaking to Anadolu, Saidam said the movement aimed to reaffirm its political presence despite mounting challenges. He added that holding sessions in Gaza during widespread destruction sends a significant political and national message.
Founded in the 1960s, Fatah held its first congress in Damascus in 1967, followed by additional gatherings in Syria and Tunisia over subsequent decades. The current congress marks the third time the event has been held inside Palestine after meetings in Bethlehem in 2009 and Ramallah in 2016.
Political analysts say the congress comes at a highly sensitive moment as the region continues to face the consequences of the Gaza conflict and escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank. Observers are closely watching whether the meeting will lead to substantial organizational reforms or shifts in Fatah’s political direction.
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