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On 31 December 2014, Abbas signed an application for Palestine to join the [[International Criminal Court]],<ref name="FP_ICC">{{cite web |last1=Hatuqa |first1=Dalia |title=How Long Can Mahmoud Abbas Hold On? |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/16/can-mahmoud-abbas-hold-on-palestinian-successor-icc/ |website=Foreign Policy |access-date=18 October 2023 |date=16 January 2015}}</ref> just one day after the UN Security Council voted against a resolution demanding the end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and statehood for Palestine by 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beaumont |first1=Peter |title=US and Israeli intervention led UN to reject Palestinian resolution |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/31/us-israel-un-reject-palestinian-resolution-nigeria-security-council |website=The Guardian |date=31 December 2014 |access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref> The threat of joining the ICC and suing Israel for war crimes had been considered by Palestinian officials for years prior, but the move was seen as a diplomatic "last resort." The decision came as Abbas's administration dealt with allegations of corruption and mismanagement, potential political challenges from rival parties and other Fatah members, and low approval ratings.<ref name="FP_ICC"></ref>
[[File:Foreign Leader Visits (34779880355).jpg |thumb| Abbas with U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] in Washington, D.C., 3 May 2017. |left]]▼
On 22 August 2015, Abbas announced his resignation as chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO,<ref name="english.alarabiya.net">{{cite web |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/08/22/Palestinian-President-Mahmoud-Abbas-resigns.html |title=PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas quits leadership post |date=22 August 2015 |website=[[Al Arabiya|Al Arabiya News]] |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> and subsequently called for an emergency meeting of the PNC to hold an election. The announcement drew criticisms and speculation as to his motives.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rudoren |first1=Jodi |title=In West Bank, Speculation Abounds Over Mahmoud Abbas's Plans |work=The New York Times |date=September 2015 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/world/middleeast/in-west-bank-speculation-abounds-over-mahmoud-abbass-plans.html |access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Frykberg |first1=Mel |title=Critics slam Mahmoud Abbas' PLO resignation as 'farce' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/8/28/critics-slam-mahmoud-abbas-plo-resignation-as-farce |website=Al Jazeera |date=28 Aug 2015 |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> His proposed special session of the PNC was postponed indefinitely,<ref name=maan_postponed>{{cite web |url=https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=767521 |title=PNC chair confirms controversial session postponed |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=9 September 2015 |website=[[Ma'an News Agency]] |access-date=26 January 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207174841/https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=767521 |archive-date=7 December 2015}}</ref> and he remains acting chairman of the PLC as of October 2023.
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During the [[2023 Israel–Hamas war]], Abbas rejected "practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morals, religion and international law."<ref>{{cite news |title=Palestinian President Abbas condemns violence against civilians |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-says-he-rejects-killing-civilians-both-sides-conflict-2023-10-12/ |work=Reuters |date=12 October 2023 |access-date=3 September 2024 |first= Ali |last=Sawafta}}</ref> He called for the "release of civilians, prisoners and detainees" and expressed concern about the consequences of Israel's [[October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip|total blockade of the Gaza Strip]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Palestinian President Abbas condemns violence against civilians |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/palestinian-president-abbas-condemns-violence-against-civilians |work=The Straits Times |date=12 October 2023 |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> Abbas declared three days of mourning following the [[Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion]] and canceled a planned meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Ibrahim|first1=Arwa|last2=Siddiqui|first2=Usaid|last3=Mohamed |first3=Edna |last4=Hatuqa |first4=Dalia |last5=Stepansky |first5=Joseph |title=Hundreds of casualties as Israel hits Gaza hospital sheltering thousands|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/10/16/israel-hamas-war-live-iran-warns-resistance-front-may-attack |date=17 October 2023 |website=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |language=en |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> In February 2024, he called the [[Al-Rashid humanitarian aid incident]] an "ugly massacre" that was perpetrated by the "Israeli occupation army."<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 February 2024 |title=Dozens killed waiting for aid in Gaza as overall death toll passes 30,000, Hamas-run health ministry says |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/dozens-killed-waiting-for-aid-in-gaza-as-overall-death-toll-passes-30000-hamas-run-health-ministry-says.html |newspaper=[[CNBC]] |agency=Reuters |language=en |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229190610/https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/dozens-killed-waiting-for-aid-in-gaza-as-overall-death-toll-passes-30000-hamas-run-health-ministry-says.html |url-status=live |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>
▲[[File:Foreign Leader Visits (34779880355).jpg |thumb| Abbas with U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] in Washington, D.C., 3 May 2017. |left]]
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Abbas's mentor and predecessor, [[Yasser Arafat]], was accused of embezzling billions of dollars of Palestinian money.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arafats-billions/ |title=Arafat's Billions: One Man's Quest To Track Down Unaccounted-For Public Funds |first=Tricia |last=McDermott |date=7 November 2003 |website=CBS News |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> This perceived corruption of the Fatah leadership is believed to have contributed to a convincing win by Hamas in the January 2006 parliamentary election. Fatah leaders were accused of siphoning funds from ministry budgets, passing out patronage jobs, accepting favors and gifts from suppliers and contractors.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33269.pdf |title=Palestinian Elections |first=Aaron D. |last=Pina |date=9 February 2006 |publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]], [[The Library of Congress]] |page=2 |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>
The source for specific allegations against Abbas was one of Arafat's most trusted aides, Mohammed Rashid, accused by the PA of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars, who threatened to expose corruption scandals in the Palestinian Authority. For many years, Rashid served as Arafat's financial advisor and was given a free hand to handle hundreds of millions of dollars that were poured on the Palestinian Authority and the PLO by the [[United States|US]], the [[European Union|EU]] and [[Arab]] donors. According to Rashid, Abbas's net worth was {{currency|100|USD}} [[million]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/01/palestinian-authority-wants-ottawas-help-seizing-former-arafat-advisors-canadian-assets/ |title=Palestinian Authority wants Ottawa's help seizing former Arafat advisor's Canadian assets |first=Adrian |last=Humphreys |date=1 April 2013 |newspaper=[[National Post]] |access-date=9 June 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.
On 10 July 2012, Abbas and his sons were attacked, in the [[United States Congress|US Congress]], for their alleged corruption. The debate was entitled ''Chronic Kleptocracy: Corruption Within the Palestinian Political Establishment.''<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-lawmakers-slam-mahmoud-abbas-for-alleged-corruption-1.450279 |title=U.S. lawmakers slam Mahmoud Abbas for alleged corruption |first=Natasha |last=Mozgovaya |date=11 July 2012 |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> In his testimony before the [[House Committee on Foreign Affairs]], Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia, [[Elliott Abrams]] stated that "Corruption is an insidious destroyer not only of Palestinian public finance but of faith in the entire political system. And it has certainly had an impact on potential donors. I can tell you from my own experience, as an American official seeking financial assistance for the PA from Gulf Arab governments, that I was often told 'why should we give them money when their officials will just steal it?'"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.cfr.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2012/07/Abrams.HFACTestimony_07092012.pdf |title=Chronic Kleptocracy: Corruption Within the Palestinian Political Establishment |first=Elliot |last=Abrams |date=10 July 2012 |website=[[Council on Foreign Relations]] |access-date=3 September 2024 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74960/pdf/CHRG-112hhrg74960.pdf |title=Chronic Kleptocracy: Corruption Within The Palestinian Political Establishment: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session |date=10 July 2012 |website=[[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs]] |access-date=3 September 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029003707/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74960/pdf/CHRG-112hhrg74960.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>
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