Arab sources are once again claiming that 81-year-old Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is critically ill, with some even claiming he died — for the third time this week.
The various Arab and Jordanian sources claim that Abbas checked into a Jordanian military hospital in Amman for a serious heart-related problem earlier in the week. The Palestinian Authority denies the rumors are true. The Arab sources claim that the PA is trying to keep it secret.
On Wednesday, the Arab rumor mill ramped-up their claims and said that a critically ill “Abu Mazen” made an additional visit to a Jordanian hospital, and adding that Abbas died.
An official PA government news agency reports that Abbas had returned from his visit in Kuwait and that he briefed the PA Central Committee about his visit.
A photo tweeted by popular Arab singer Ahlam Al-Shamsi, confirms that Abbas met with her in Kuwait on April 24 and can be seen holding her hand and hugging her (perhaps that gave him a heart attack?). On Facebook, Abbas was roundly criticized for meeting with Arab music stars while Palestinian Authority prisoners were busy hunger striking, which is probably why the PA didn’t release those photos.
In October, Abbas was taken for tests in a hospital following chest pains, and he has been dogged by rumors of his failing health for the past year.
In June 2016, Abbas wasn’t seen for a week, and rumors circulated that we was rushed to the hospital for serious heart problems.
Abbas was elected as the head of the Palestinian Authority for a four-year term in 2005. He’s now in his 12th year of that 4 year term in office.
He has purposely not appointed a successor, and it is unclear what will happen to or within the Palestinian Authority when he does die for real.
After Abbas dies, there’s a good chance the PA could collapse completely, or its role taken over by Hamas, or an all-out war will break out between its competing internal terrorist factions and chieftains.
Abbas is supposed to meet President Trump in May.