Hamas and Islamic Jihad Form Electoral Alliance With UAE-Aligned Palestinian Leader
Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced support for a joint electoral list led by Mohammed Dahlan, a former Palestinian security official now advising the UAE's ruler, in upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for November 28. The alliance represents a unified challenge to President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party, which has governed without holding national elections for two decades, with participants acknowledging the ideological contradictions within their coalition. The alignment emerged days after the UAE hosted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, underscoring the complex regional diplomatic dynamics surrounding Palestinian governance.
Palestinian parliamentary elections have been absent for two decades, with Abbas repeatedly postponing votes that might threaten Fatah's control. The upcoming November ballot represents a rare opportunity for electoral competition, prompted by an unusual coalition of ideologically opposed groups united primarily by their opposition to the current leadership. Dahlan, who fled Gaza after Hamas's 2007 military victory and later found refuge in the UAE, has positioned himself as an alternative to Abbas while maintaining ties to regional and Western powers.
The timing of this alliance underscores deepening fault lines in Palestinian politics. The November elections will test whether Gaza's armed factions can translate military credibility into electoral support, and whether Dahlan's connections to Gulf wealth and international actors can overcome skepticism from constituencies that view his UAE ties as conflicting with Palestinian resistance movements.
This election cycle could reshape Palestinian governance by breaking two decades of Fatah dominance, potentially shifting power toward groups with stronger grassroots support or regional backing. Voters face a choice between established authority and fragmented opposition, which may determine the Authority's direction on security, economic policy, and negotiations with Israel. The outcome could also influence regional dynamics, as rival Arab states, the UAE and others, vie for influence over Palestinian decision-making through their preferred candidates and factions.