RAMALLAH, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president and chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), named Hussein al-Sheikh as the PLO Secretary-General on Thursday.
A senior Palestinian official told Xinhua that 62-year-old Al-Sheikh succeeded the late PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat, who died in November 2020 from COVID-19.
The position is the second-highest rank in the PLO, which comprises seven factions, including the ruling Abbas Fatah Party.
Al-Sheikh, who comes from the West Bank city of Ramallah, is close to Abbas and has been a candidate of the position since the death of Erekat, who had been leading the Palestinian team of peace negotiations with Israel.
He will be in charge of contacting Israel and the United States on issues related to resolving the Palestinian cause and the conflict with Israel.
Al-Sheikh is also a member of the Fatah central committee and the Palestinian minister of civil affairs, which coordinates daily affairs with Israel. ■
