Hamas and its allied Islamic Jihad group have agreed to form an unlikely electoral coalition with a bloc led by former top Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, Palestinian officials told The Associated Press.
Islamic Jihad deputy secretary general Mohammed al-Hindi confirmed the formation of the alliance in a rare interview with the AP in Istanbul on Monday. He said it would support a "unified national list" that could be made up of independent figures rather than members of the groups themselves.
An unlikely partner
Dahlan is a former Fatah security chief who went into exile in 2010 after a bitter falling-out with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and who had previously been driven out of Gaza by Hamas. He has since cultivated close ties with the United Arab Emirates, where he serves as an adviser to the country's ruler. The UAE was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords, and Dahlan has extensive contacts with US and Israeli officials — making him an unlikely ally for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which have fought Israel for decades. The alliance appears to be rooted in shared frustration with Abbas.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said in an interview on September 26 that his movement would participate in the parliamentary elections as part of a "national coalition," without elaborating.
Elections in doubt
The alliance could be positioned to threaten the dominance of Abbas's Fatah party over the Palestinian Authority — but only if the first national Palestinian elections in 20 years actually take place. Abbas has said parliamentary elections will be held on November 28 in Gaza and the West Bank, but he has repeatedly delayed them, most recently in 2021 when Fatah appeared headed for defeat.
Hamas won the last Palestinian elections in 2006. Israel and Western countries boycotted its government, fueling months of unrest that led to Hamas's takeover of Gaza the following year.
Sources:
- Hamas, Islamic Jihad and an ex-Fatah official form an unlikely Palestinian electoral coalition (AP via New Indian Express)
- Report: Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Dahlan to run on joint list in Palestinian parliamentary elections (Times of Israel/AP)
Islamic Jihad deputy secretary general Mohammed al-Hindi confirmed the formation of the alliance in a rare interview with the AP in Istanbul on Monday. He said it would support a "unified national list" that could be made up of independent figures rather than members of the groups themselves.
An unlikely partner
Dahlan is a former Fatah security chief who went into exile in 2010 after a bitter falling-out with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and who had previously been driven out of Gaza by Hamas. He has since cultivated close ties with the United Arab Emirates, where he serves as an adviser to the country's ruler. The UAE was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords, and Dahlan has extensive contacts with US and Israeli officials — making him an unlikely ally for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which have fought Israel for decades. The alliance appears to be rooted in shared frustration with Abbas.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said in an interview on September 26 that his movement would participate in the parliamentary elections as part of a "national coalition," without elaborating.
Elections in doubt
The alliance could be positioned to threaten the dominance of Abbas's Fatah party over the Palestinian Authority — but only if the first national Palestinian elections in 20 years actually take place. Abbas has said parliamentary elections will be held on November 28 in Gaza and the West Bank, but he has repeatedly delayed them, most recently in 2021 when Fatah appeared headed for defeat.
Hamas won the last Palestinian elections in 2006. Israel and Western countries boycotted its government, fueling months of unrest that led to Hamas's takeover of Gaza the following year.
Sources:
- Hamas, Islamic Jihad and an ex-Fatah official form an unlikely Palestinian electoral coalition (AP via New Indian Express)
- Report: Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Dahlan to run on joint list in Palestinian parliamentary elections (Times of Israel/AP)
