The leaders of the Palestinian institutions are the leaders of the organs of the various Palestinian political entities: the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian National Authority and the State of Palestine.
Sometimes both offices are held by the same person, or one or both of these is held by the same person who is also the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.[4] The reference "President of Palestine" is utilized as short form for these positions.[5]
| period | President of the State of Palestine | President of the Palestinian National Authority | |||||
| Gaza Strip | |||||||
| 10 June 1964 – 24 December 1967 | Ahmad Shukeiri | ||||||
| 24 December 1967 – 2 February 1969 | Yahya Hammuda | ||||||
| 2 February 1969 – 2 April 1989 | Yasser Arafat | ||||||
| 2 April 1989[6] – 5 July 1994 | Yasser Arafat | ||||||
| 5 July 1994 – 29 October 2004 | Yasser Arafat | ||||||
| 29 October 2004 – 11 November 2004 | bgcolor=khaki | Mahmoud Abbas (on behalf of Yasser Arafat) | Yasser Arafat (incapacitated by illness) | ||||
| 11 November 2004 – 15 January 2005 | Mahmoud Abbas | vacant | Rawhi Fattouh as Speaker of the PLC | ||||
| 15 January 2005 – 8 May 2005[7] | Mahmoud Abbas | vacant | Mahmoud Abbas | ||||
| 8 May 2005 – 23 November 2008[8] | Mahmoud Abbas | bgcolor=khaki | Mahmoud Abbas (on request of the PLO-EC) | Mahmoud Abbas | |||
| 23 November 2008 – 15 January 2009 | Mahmoud Abbas | ||||||
| 15 January 2009 – present | Mahmoud Abbas | bgcolor=khaki | Mahmoud Abbas pending elections | bgcolor=khaki | Aziz Dweik as Speaker of the PLC | ||
"A government-in-exile, having no effective control in the territory and not having had previous control, ..."
"Chairman Afarat, who, upon the declaration by the PLO in 1988 of the establishment of the "State of Palestine," assumed the title "President of Palestine"..."
. Said K. Aburish . From Defender to Dictator . 1998 . Bloomsbury Publishing . 201–228 . New York . 1-58234-049-8 .