GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A new legal controversy and political feud has erupted between the Palestinian Hamas and Fatah movements. On June 25, Ahmad Bahar, the first deputy speaker of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), accused the PLO of setting up a scheme to strip the PLC of its powers and confer them to the PLO’s Palestinian Central Council (PCC).

Bahar said in a statement distributed by the PLC media office, “Turning the PCC into a substitute for the PLC is tantamount to passing the 'deal of the century,'" in reference to the forthcoming Mideast peace plan from US President Donald Trump. He pointed out that the PLC will hold a meeting next week to discuss this “dangerous plan” and to set the controls and mechanisms to stop it.

Bahar’s accusation was triggered by statements reported in London-based Al-Hayat newspaper. Quoting an anonymous prominent Palestinian official on June 21, the article said, “The PCC will meet on July 25 to declare itself the highest power in the Palestinian Authority [PA], enjoying the competences of the PLC to fill the potential vacuum in executive institutions, such as the presidency and premiership.”

This comes after increased talk about President Mahmoud Abbas’ successor. Recently, Abbas, who is known to be a heavy smoker, had endured a series of health scares. On May 20, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to the hospital for several days.