ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Updated:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spoke by phone with the Chief Commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), Ali Shaath, to offer his condolences following the death of Shaath’s uncle, marking the first publicized conversation between the two since Shaath assumed his new role, PA official media WAFA reported on Tuesday.

Shaath, a former deputy minister for the PA, was reported to have thanked Abbas for the call, claiming it was impactful.

While the PA had initially opposed the US-backed NCAG, Ramallah agreed to work with the committee in a formal agreement signed in January.

Chair of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Ali Shaath reacts during a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, in Cairo, Egypt, January 19, 2026
Chair of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Ali Shaath reacts during a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, in Cairo, Egypt, January 19, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY)

Hamas announces Emergency Committee resignation

Notably, the call came a day after Hamas announced the resignation of the governing Emergency Committee, allowing Shaath’s NCAG to take administrative control of the Gaza Strip.

This is a developing story.