Mohammad Shtayyeh sparks controversy over remarks on Ahmad al-Sharaa

Former Palestinian Prime Minister and Fatah leader Mohammad Shtayyeh has sparked controversy following remarks made during a debate at Oxford University. In the footage, Shtayyeh criticized Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, alleging that al-Sharaa “sleeps in the same bed with the Americans and Israelis.”

The comments drew widespread condemnation from political analysts and activists, who noted the contradiction in Shtayyeh referring to al-Sharaa as a “dear friend” before making the accusation. The Palestinian Presidency initially issued a statement rejecting the remarks but later deleted the announcement.

Separately, investigations into a viral video claiming to show Palestinians insulting Ahmad al-Sharaa have revealed the footage to be digitally manipulated. Fact-checking efforts determined that the video was an older clip from December 2025, which had been edited with altered camera angles and superimposed audio from a 2019 incident at Al-Aqsa Mosque to create a misleading narrative.