Ramallah: Hamas has expressed strong disapproval of the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as the deputy chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and vice president of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Palestinian resistance movement labeled the decision as ‘a response to foreign dictates’ and accused the PA of adopting a ‘monopolistic approach’ that lacks national consensus. Hamas argued that al-Sheikh’s appointment does not align with national interests and instead exacerbates political divisions. The group further criticized the decision as indicative of the determination of influential PA and PLO leaders to restrict these institutions.

Hamas called for all Palestinian factions to resist the decision and to work towards restructuring the PLO based on national and democratic principles, free from external pressures. The movement stressed that Palestinian leadership should prioritize addressing Israeli aggression and the issues of occupation and settlements.

The appointment of al-Sheikh, a senior member of the Fatah political party, was made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last Thursday, which sparked controversy. The PLO Executive Committee and Central Council approved the decision on Saturday, positioning al-Sheikh as the second-in-command within the organization, directly under President Abbas.

The move faced substantial opposition from resistance groups, particularly as major factions had boycotted the PLO Central Council meeting in protest. The PLO serves as an umbrella organization for multiple Palestinian political factions, but it excludes groups like Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, which disagree with Abbas’s concessions to Israel.