The Israeli defense establishment is concerned about the health of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as it could lead to a political changing of the guard at the Palestinian National Authority, Haaretz reported Sunday.
Abbas, 82, was hospitalized Saturday for exhaustion according to medical doctors and Palestinian officials, and one physician said he suffered from an inflammation of the stomach, aggravated by stress. Abbas is overweight and a heavy smoker, and had a cardiac cauterization in 2016 after suffering from chest pains.
Tensions with Israel over the Temple Mount site in Jerusalem has forced Abbas to constantly monitor the crisis and hold meetings with his advisers. Abbas last Wednesday said he would continue to suspend security coordination with Israel until all security measures recently installed at the holy site were removed – which the country did the following day.
The president has also been undermined by internal Palestinian forces, including Hamas and ex-security chief Muhammad Dahlan, and was under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, two of the PA's major donors, to tone down the violence.
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