Editing Fatah (section)

====Internal discord====
<!--Deleted image removed: [[File:Marwan-barghouti.jpg|thumb|right|[[Marwan Barghouti]] is the founder of the [[Al-Mustaqbal (electoral list)|al-Mustaqbal]] political party and leader of the [[Tanzim]] and [[al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades]] {{Deletable image-caption|date=May 2012}}]]-->
In December 2005, jailed [[Second Intifada|Intifada]] leader [[Marwan Barghouti]] broke ranks with the party and announced that he had formed a new political list to run in the elections called the ''[[Al-Mustaqbal (electoral list)|al-Mustaqbal]]'' ("The Future"), mainly composed of members of Fatah's "Young Guard." These younger leaders have repeatedly expressed frustration with the entrenched corruption in the party, which has been run by the "Old Guard" who returned from exile in [[Tunisia]] following the [[Oslo Accords]]. Al-Mustaqbal was to campaign against Fatah in the [[2006 Palestinian legislative election]], presenting a list including [[Mohammed Dahlan]], [[Qadura Fares|Kadoura Fares]], Samir Mashharawi and [[Jibril Rajoub]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1134309581046&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120605010641/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1134309581046&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 June 2012|title=Fatah officials negotiate with Barghouti |work=The Jerusalem Post|access-date=7 January 2007}}</ref> However, on 28 December 2005, the leadership of the two factions agreed to submit a single list to voters, headed by Barghouti, who began actively campaigning for Fatah from his jail cell.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reut-institute.org/Publication.aspx?PublicationId=1225 |title=Crisis of Representation|publisher=Reut-institute.org|access-date=2013-04-25|archive-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012085657/http://www.reut-institute.org/Publication.aspx?PublicationId=1225|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/15/international/middleeast/15cnd-mide.html?ex=1168318800&en=19dddb2093472ac9&ei=5070 |title=Main Palestinian Faction Splits Sharply Ahead of Election|work=The New York Times |access-date=7 January 2007|first=Steven|last=Erlanger|date=15 December 2005}}</ref>

There have been numerous other expressions of discontent within Fatah, which is just holding its first general congress in two decades. Because of this, the movement remains largely dominated by aging cadres from the pre-Oslo era of Palestinian politics. Several of them gained their positions through the patronage of Yasser Arafat, who balanced above the different factions, and the era after his death in 2004 has seen increased infighting among these groups, who jockey for influence over future development, the political line, funds, and constituencies. There is concern over the succession once Abbas leaves power.<ref name="CG23">{{cite web | title=Managing Palestine's Looming Leadership Transition | website=Crisis Group | date=1 Feb 2023 | url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/238-managing-palestines-looming-leadership-transition | access-date=5 Jul 2023}}</ref>
[[File:West Bank Access Restrictions (United Nations OCHA oPt) May 2023.jpg|thumb|[[Palestinian enclaves]] in May 2023 ([[West Bank Areas in the Oslo II Accord|Area A and B]] under the [[Oslo II Accord]]). Area A (light yellow) is exclusively administered by the Fatah-controlled [[Palestinian National Authority]].]] 
There have been no open splits within the older generation of Fatah politicians since the 1980s, though there is occasional friction between members of the top leadership. One founding member, [[Farouk Kaddoumi|Faruq al-Qaddumi]] (Abu Lutf), continues to openly oppose the post-Oslo arrangements and has intensified his campaign for a more hardline position from exile in [[Tunis]]. Since Arafat's death, he is formally head of Fatah's political bureau and chairman, but his actual political following within Fatah appears limited. He has at times openly challenged the legitimacy of Abbas and harshly criticized both him and [[Mohammed Dahlan]], but despite threats to splinter the movement, he remains in his position, and his challenges have so far been fruitless. Another influential veteran, [[Hani al-Hassan]], has also openly criticized the present leadership.

Fatah's internal conflicts have also, due to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, merged with the turf wars between different PA security services, e.g., a longstanding rivalry between the West Bank ([[Jibril Rajoub]]) and Gaza (Muhammad Dahlan) branches of the powerful Preventive Security Service. Foreign backing for different factions contribute to conflict, e.g., with the United States generally seen as supportive of Abbas's overall leadership and of Dahlan's security influence, and Syria alleged to promote Faruq al-Qaddumi's challenge to the present leadership. The younger generations of Fatah, especially within the militant [[al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades]], have been more prone to splits, and a number of lesser networks in Gaza and the West Bank have established themselves as either independent organizations or joined Hamas. However, such overt breaks with the movement have still been rather uncommon, despite numerous rivalries inside and between competing local Fatah groups.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}}