President of the Palestinian National Authority the Palestinian Legislative Council, was recognized as acting President by the government of Ismail Haniyeh that governed the Gaza Strip. From 2014 to 2016 Rami Hamdallah was recognized by both sides as head of government and Mahmoud Abbas as president. The Arabic term Ra'ees or Ra'is (رئيس) can be translated to English as either "President" or "Chairman". As the status of Palestine as a political entity is controversial, the use of the term "President" to describe the leader of the Palestinian government is controversial to some, as its use may be seen to imply a recognition of state sovereignty. Until
Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process 2014. This agreement specified the tasks and responsibilities of the new Government. In December 2015 and January 2016 Hamas and Fatah secretly held Qatar-brokered talks in Doha to try and complement the 2014 agreement. Talks were renewed on 7-8 February. In this round of negotiations Egypt was not involved. Hamas issued a brief statement on 8 February, saying both parties reached a practical vision of a solution to be discussed and implemented. Fatah leader Abdullah Abdullah said a solution must force Hamas to cede the Gaza Strip and on 23 February, Fatah political figure Jibril Rajoub made a statement about