RAMALLAH, 22 August 2026 (News Desk): Political factions in Palestine are forming unexpected alliances ahead of the country’s first legislative elections in two decades, with several groups seeking to challenge the existing political landscape. The last Palestinian Legislative Council elections were held in 2006, resulting in a contested victory for Hamas. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been in office since 2005, had announced legislative and presidential elections in 2021 but later cancelled them, citing Israel’s refusal to allow Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem to participate. Political analysts at the time suggested that the decision was also influenced by opinion polls indicating strong support for a candidate list led by imprisoned Palestinian activist Marwan Barghouti. With growing pressure from European and US governments for reforms within the Palestinian Authority, several political factions have expressed their intention to participate in the November elections. The upcoming electoral process is expected to be heavily influenced by the consequences of the Gaza war, which has significantly weakened Hamas’s control over the territory it governed for years. The situation in the occupied West Bank, including increasing attacks by armed Israeli settlers on Palestinian towns and homes, is also expected to shape the political environment. A meeting between Mohammad Dahlan, head of a breakaway faction of the ruling Fatah party, and Hamas chief Khalil Al Hayya was held in Egypt’s Alamein on Monday.
According to a statement issued by Dahlan’s Democratic Reform Party, the meeting focused on achieving “unity of the national position.” However, discussions reportedly went beyond the issue of political unity. A Hamas official said that a political alliance involving several Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Dahlan’s party, was being considered. The official said the proposal remained under study and that consultations among the factions were continuing.
The development could potentially challenge the political dominance of President Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah leadership, which has governed the Palestinian Authority for more than two decades. Fatah has been closely monitoring the emerging alliances, amid growing political competition ahead of the November elections