NEW : Rebranding comes amid efforts to unify rival Palestinian factions . Speech from Mahmoud Abbas to Palestinian Authority as the ` ` state of Palestine '' This comes after the U.N. upgraded the authority 's status to ` ` non - member observer state '' Hamas , which controls Gaza , allowed Fatah to stage a rally there Saturday . The authority had been classified as a ` ` non - member observer state '' until the vote .
NEW : Rebranding comes amid efforts to unify rival Palestinian factions . Speech from Mahmoud Abbas to Palestinian Authority as the ` ` state of Palestine '' This comes after the U.N. upgraded the authority 's status to ` ` non - member observer state '' The authority had been classified as a ` ` non - member observer state '' until the vote .