Who Leads Palestine?

Leadership

Mahmoud Abbas

President of Palestine

Political Party

Fatah

Inaugurated

Jan 15, 2005

Term Ends

TBD

Next Election

TBD

Born

Mar 26, 1935 in Safed, Mandatory Palestine

Country Population

5.4M

Continent

Asia

Mahmoud Abbas has served as President of the Palestinian Authority since 2005. He holds a PhD in history from Moscow and was a founding member of Fatah. Originally elected for a four-year term, he has remained in power without elections. He has pursued a diplomatic strategy for Palestinian statehood through international recognition, though his legitimacy is increasingly questioned domestically.

Government

Capital

Ramallah (de facto)

Official Language(s)

Arabic

Currency

Israeli Shekel / Jordanian Dinar

Government Type

Semi-Presidential Republic

Area

6,020 km²

Palestine comprises the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories occupied by Israel since 1967. The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank while Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2007. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world's longest-running disputes. Palestinian culture is rich in embroidery, cuisine, literature, and a deep connection to the land.

Palestine has no unified government. The Palestinian Authority (PA), established by the Oslo Accords (1993), administers parts of the West Bank under President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah party). Abbas has governed since January 15, 2005, when he was elected to a 4-year term that has not been renewed by election; Palestinian elections were postponed indefinitely. Gaza was governed by Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) from 2007 (when Hamas violently expelled Fatah after winning 2006 elections) until Israel's military campaign following October 7, 2023. Palestine is recognized as a state by approximately 146 of 193 UN member states; the United States and most Western European countries have historically not recognized Palestinian statehood, though several European countries have recently (Ireland, Norway, Spain recognized in May 2024).

Economic Snapshot

GDP

$18.0B

GDP Per Capita

$3,300

Income Group

Lower-middle income (West Bank); extreme poverty (Gaza post-war)

Trade Balance

Large deficit (Israeli restrictions and conflict severely limit economic activity)

Inflation

5.9% (PCBS, 2022; pre-war; post-war data unavailable for Gaza)

The Palestinian economy is perhaps the world's most politically constrained. The Oslo Accords' Paris Protocol (1994) gave Israel extensive controls over Palestinian trade and movement: Israeli authorities collect value-added tax and customs revenues on Palestinian behalf (and have at times withheld transfers as political pressure). The West Bank is divided into Areas A (PA control), B (shared), and C (Israeli military and civilian control); Area C comprises approximately 61% of the West Bank and includes most resources. The Gaza blockade (tightened after Hamas's 2006 election victory and complete after the 2007 Hamas takeover) has created one of the world's most acute cases of collective economic punishment: 2.3 million people in a 365 km² enclave with restricted imports, limited exports (essentially none during the blockade years), limited electricity, and limited fishing rights. The October 7 attacks and subsequent military campaign have essentially destroyed Gaza's economy. Palestinian olive oil tells the broader story: olive trees (some centuries old; some a thousand years old) are central to Palestinian agricultural identity, livelihood, and cultural memory. Israeli settlement expansion has destroyed olive groves; settler attacks on olive trees during the harvest season are documented annually by human rights organizations. Palestinian olive oil, when it reaches international markets (often through fair trade certification), commands premium prices and serves as a tangible connection between Palestinian farmers and global consumers.

Major Industries

• Public Sector (PA employs approximately 140,000 West Bank workers)
• Tourism (Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity; Jericho; Ramallah; severely disrupted)
• Agriculture (olive oil: Palestine produces significant olive oil; olives are culturally central)
• Manufacturing (stone cutting; textiles; food processing)
• Services (finance; retail)
• Remittances (Palestinian diaspora in Jordan, Gulf, U.S., Chile)

Palestine is known for: Palestine is significant for Bethlehem (birthplace of Jesus; Church of the Nativity is one of Christianity's holiest sites; UNESCO), Jericho (one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; approximately 10,000 years), Palestinian olive oil (some of the world's finest; from centuries-old olive groves), the Palestinian refugee diaspora (approximately 5.9 million registered UNRWA refugees; one of the world's largest per-capita diaspora), and keffiyeh (the checkered headscarf) as a global political symbol.

Trade Profile

The Palestinian economy operates under severe Israeli restrictions on movement of goods and people. The Palestinian Authority's fiscal situation depends on tax revenues collected by Israel on its behalf under the Paris Protocol (1994) and international donor support. Gaza's economy has been essentially destroyed by the October 2023 military campaign.

Top Exports

• Olive oil
• Stone & marble
• Agricultural products
• Textiles
• Pharmaceuticals
• Handicrafts

Top Imports

• Food
• Petroleum
• Construction materials
• Machinery
• Consumer goods
• Electronics

Export Destinations

• Israel
• Jordan
• United Arab Emirates

Import Partners

• Israel
• Jordan
• Egypt

The world depends on Palestine for: Palestinian olive oil, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict's geopolitical influence on global oil markets and Middle East diplomacy, and Bethlehem tourism

Palestine depends on the world for: Humanitarian aid (one of the world's largest per-capita aid recipients), food, petroleum, construction materials, and donor-funded public services

Global Role

Palestine's global significance is the world's most closely watched and most politically divisive territorial conflict, the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks (approximately 1,200 Israelis killed; largest attack on Jews since the Holocaust), Israel's subsequent Gaza military campaign (40,000+ Gazan deaths; massive displacement), Bethlehem and Jericho's Christian and ancient heritage, and the Palestinian olive tree as a global political symbol.

• The October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel killed approximately 1,200 Israelis (the largest single-day killing of Jews since the Holocaust) and took approximately 250 hostages
• Israel's military response in Gaza (from October 2023) has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, displaced the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, and destroyed an estimated 50-70% of Gaza's built environment
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing a genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa; multiple countries have joined as parties
• 130+ countries recognize Palestine as a state; Ireland, Norway, and Spain recognized Palestinian statehood in May 2024; the U.S. and most Western European countries have historically not recognized it
• Approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency); many live in camps in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria after displacement in 1948 ('Nakba') and 1967
• The keffiyeh (Palestinian checkered headscarf) has become a global symbol of Palestinian solidarity movements
• Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity (UNESCO) is built over the grotto traditionally identified as the birthplace of Jesus; it is one of Christianity's most significant sites

Frequently Asked Questions

Who leads Palestine?

Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) of Fatah leads the Palestinian Authority (PA), which administers parts of the West Bank. He was elected PA President on January 15, 2005, for a 4-year term that has not been renewed by election. Abbas is 90 years old (born March 26, 1935) and has a PhD from Moscow Patrice Lumumba University. Gaza was governed by Hamas until Israel's military campaign following the October 7, 2023 attacks. No unified Palestinian government currently exists.

What happened on October 7, 2023?

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the largest single attack on Israel in its history: approximately 3,000 Hamas militants crossed from Gaza into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people (mostly civilians at a music festival and in kibbutzim), and taking approximately 250 hostages. It was the largest killing of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza (beginning October 2023) that has continued through 2024-2025, killing over 40,000 Gazans, displacing approximately 1.9 million, and destroying much of Gaza's infrastructure.

What is the two-state solution?

The two-state solution refers to the proposition of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing an independent Palestinian state (West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as capital) alongside Israel. It has been the basis of international diplomatic frameworks since the Oslo Accords (1993). Support for it has eroded among both Israeli and Palestinian populations. The October 7 attacks and subsequent Israeli military campaign have dramatically complicated any near-term path toward a negotiated outcome. As of 2025, Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank (700,000+ settlers in 150+ settlements) makes a contiguous Palestinian state increasingly difficult geographically.

Related Countries

• Israel: Directly governs Palestinian territories through occupation; Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the defining relationship
• Jordan: Largest Palestinian refugee population (approximately 2.3 million registered UNRWA refugees); administered West Bank 1948-1967
• Egypt: Administers the Rafah border crossing with Gaza; historical peace treaty broker; administered Gaza 1948-1967
• United States: Primary diplomatic actor in Israeli-Palestinian conflict; U.S. position on Palestinian statehood is central to any resolution
• Iran: Primary sponsor of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad; Iran's anti-Israel position shapes regional conflict
• Saudi Arabia: Saudi-Israel normalization (the Abraham Accords extension) was the pre-October 7 diplomatic project; Palestinian statehood is Saudi's stated condition