RAMALLAH, Wednesday, January 5, 2022 — President Mahmoud Abbas said last night, at the close of a Fatah meeting in Ramallah, that he remains optimistic about the end of the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

“Despite the difficult circumstances we live in, I am more optimistic today about the establishment of the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital,” President Abbas said, speaking at the conclusion of the Fatah Revolutionary Council meeting, which he chaired.

He emphasized that Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Palestinian cause, adding that “the price of our steadfastness is ending the occupation and establishing the state.”

The President also saluted administrative detainee Hisham Abu Hawash for his endurance during his hunger strike, and wished a swift recovery for prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid, who is battling cancer in Israeli custody. Abu Hawash ended his 141-day hunger strike last night after Israeli authorities agreed to conclude his administrative detention on February 26.

“This session has ended, but the work has not,” Abbas said, stressing the need for unified effort as Fatah prepares to move into what he described as “a more important next stage.”

He underlined the significance of the upcoming meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Central Council, calling it “extremely important” given “the sensitivity of this period, Israeli practices, and international inaction.” He said the Council’s decisions will carry great weight in light of the challenges facing the Palestinian cause.

President Abbas added that since the beginning of the Palestinian revolution, the leadership has faced “many conspiracies” because of its steadfast positions, commitment to national principles, unity of the movement, and the independence of Palestinian decision-making. “We allow no one to interfere in our affairs, and we do not interfere in anyone else’s,” he said.

The Revolutionary Council’s ninth session was held over two days at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah as part of preparations for Fatah’s eighth general convention and the upcoming PLO Central Council meeting planned for March.