Arafat’s nephew returns, eyeing a place in Gaza’s post-war future

The Palestinians seem to witness continuous surprises since the Gaza Peace Deal was reached last week. After 4 years of self-exile, Nasser al-Qudwa has finally returned to the West Bank, with ambitions for a role in post-war Gaza governance.

Who is Nasser al-Qudwa?

Nasser al-Qudwa was born in Khan Younis in Gaza in 1954. He was a senior member of Fatah in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the nephew of the late infamous PLO leader Yasser Arafat. Qudwa joined Fatah in 1969 and subsequently joined its Central Committee (FCC). He served as the PLO’s representative to the United Nations between 1991-2005, and later as Palestinian foreign minister in 2005.

Over the years, Qudwa developed an uneasy and confrontational relationship with Fatah chairman and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. This prompted him to create a break-away Fatah faction, the National Democratic Assembly in April 2021, and form, together with Marwan Barghouti, the “Freedom” list to compete in the May 2021 legislative elections. President Abbas decided to cancel the scheduled elections, which many considered a response to the Qudwa-Barghouti challenge. Afterwards, Qudwa went into self-exile for 4 years and was expelled from Fatah, only to return both to Fatah and the West Bank today after Abbas granted amnesty for expelled members.

The significance of Qudwa’s return

Nasser al-Qudwa’s return comes at a critical time for the Palestinians, Gaza in particular. International, regional and local talks began to focus on the future of the devastated strip, including governance plans. The Palestinian Authority, led by President Abbas, has been applying notable pressure to take over Gaza and administer it as part of the promised territory of the Palestinian state. Conversely, international pressure has mounted on Abbas to achieve long-delayed required reforms in the PA, to ensure credibility, transparency and efficiency (after losing all three in recent years).

It is here that Qudwa might be eyeing a prominent role. He has long been a critic of the Palestinian leadership under Abbas and said that the latter’s Fatah Movement needed deep reform and must do more to counter Jewish settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Boasting his ties with regional Arab states and his renowned origins (as a Gazan and a nephew of Arafat), Qudwa believes he might be part of the governing body of Gaza, claiming that

If I'm needed, I’m not going to hesitate.

Qudwa’s intended roadmap includes reforming the PA, holding elections, allowing Palestinians to run Gaza and transforming Hamas into a political party (not an armed militia). His stance on Hamas has always been firm and clear. He believes that the group should end both administrative and security control over the Gaza Strip, emphasizing their accepted political participation as a political party.