A top aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was heard in newly released recordings on Tuesday cursing the Palestinian leader and insulting other members of the Palestinian leadership, The New Arab reported.

The purported remarks by Hussein Al-Sheikh, a senior official who is seen as a potential successor to the 87-year-old Abbas, gave a glimpse of the bitter infighting inside the Palestinian leadership as several hopefuls try to position themselves for the post-Abbas era.

The embattled leader has not designated a successor, and last year he called off what would have been the first Palestinian parliamentary elections in 15 years.

The recordings were released by the Shehab News Agency. In the audio, Al-Sheikh is repeatedly heard complaining about Abbas and denigrating other potential contenders for the presidency.

Al-Sheikh is a senior official who holds the powerful position of overseeing day-to-day relations with Israel.

He also was named this year as secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, raising speculation that Abbas was grooming him for the presidency.

(The New Arab, PC, SOCIAL)