Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's health has deteriorated to such an extent that he may no longer be able to carry out his duties, a report said on Saturday. Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported that:  According to Fatah sources, due to Abbas's medical condition, doctors came to the presidential palace to perform examinations instead of at the hospital, after receiving Beijing's offer to arbitrate negotiations with Israel, the president of the Palestinian Authority planned to travel to China this week.

Also a  senior Fatah official said that the Central Committee leaders began planning the succession of Mahmoud Abbas after checking the medical reports on the condition of the 88 years old Abbas, who is currently in his 19th year in office, in a term that was originally supposed to last only four years, Abbas has resisted holding elections and has not nominated a successor For almost two decades.

According to the report on Fatah, some West Bank officials are inclined to support Marwan Barghouti as Abbas' replacement. Barghouti is a longtime Fatah militant who was found guilty and imprisoned for murder by an Israeli court. The Central Committee's leadership, however, rejects this strategy. They believe Israel will not let Barghouti's release and that other candidates are better deserving of the position, Al Akhbar reported.

According to the sources, Majid Faraj, the chief of the Palestinian general intelligence service, is favored by Fatah to succeed Abbas. Faraj shares the same ideology as the current leadership, which unequivocally opposes violent resistance. In response, Israeli officials are worried about the possibility of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority in the event that Abbas passes away, which might cause turmoil in the West Bank and open the door for Hamas to seize power.

Source - Israel Hayom/Twitter/This article was first published by i24NEWS.