Mahmoud Abbas, aged 90 and in power since 2005 without facing voters since his original term expired in 2009, has faced sustained domestic pressure to step aside, with polls showing roughly 80% of Palestinians wanting his resignation. In October 2025 he formalized interim succession rules designating deputy Hussein al-Sheikh to serve up to 90 days pending elections if the presidency becomes vacant. July 2026 decrees scheduled legislative elections for November 28, 2026, and presidential voting for early 2027, while Fatah internal moves have elevated Abbas’s son and reinforced al-Sheikh’s position. These steps, alongside rival polling strength for figures such as Marwan Barghouti and ongoing Fatah-Hamas divisions, shape trader assessments of the timing of any leadership transition through resignation, health events, or electoral outcomes.