FiMED – Follow-up

The General Assembly of the Palestinian National Movement has affirmed its commitment to Palestinian national rights, foremost among them liberation, return and self-determination, calling for national efforts to focus on confronting what it described as the dangers of the occupation, settlement and the war in the Gaza Strip.

This came in a political statement issued after the movement's regular General Assembly meeting, held on 26 September 2026 in the presence of a number of supporters and friends, which discussed the latest Palestinian developments, the state of the movement and ways to develop its work.

Commitment to national principles

The movement said it holds fast to what it described as «Palestinian national principles and rights», arguing that the current stage is one of national liberation and that Palestinian programmes of action should, according to the statement, focus on confronting the occupation and settlement and defending Palestinian land and rights.

It also called for debate over «solution» formulas and pre-liberation arrangements not to be made a priority at the expense of issues it considers urgent at the current stage, warning that doing so could cause divisions among Palestinian forces and scatter political effort.

Gaza and the West Bank as priorities

The movement placed support for the Gaza Strip at the top of its priorities, calling for political, popular, humanitarian and relief support for its population, and for work to support their steadfastness and address the effects of the war.

It also declared its support for the people of the West Bank in the face of settlement and settler attacks, calling for wider popular and international solidarity and support for Palestinians in the targeted areas.

The statement also addressed the situation of Palestinians inside Israel, citing organised crime, drugs, land confiscation and restrictions on freedoms, and holding the Israeli government and army, in its view, responsible for supporting these policies.

Criticism of the Palestinian Authority

The movement sharply criticised the Palestinian Authority, saying it «does not represent the aspirations and interests of the Palestinian people» and accusing it of repression and the arrest of activists and resistance fighters.

In contrast, it called for building a Palestinian national reference body which it said would draw its legitimacy from national rights and principles and uphold Palestinians' right to resist the occupation in a manner the movement considers consistent with international law, including armed struggle.

In a related context, the movement expressed reservations about raising elections as an issue separate from the tasks of national liberation, arguing that, in its view, the priority should be confronting the war in Gaza, settlement in the West Bank, and annexation and displacement plans.

At the end of its statement, it called on Palestinians at home and in the diaspora, and on national forces and bodies, to unite their efforts around what it described as national priorities, support Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and preserve Palestinian rights and principles.