Palestinian Authority delays elections to 2027 amid emerging Hamas-Dahlan alliance

Three months after announcing elections, President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on 10 October moving the vote from 27 November 2026 to 11 September 2027, citing Israeli interference with the electoral commission and the dire situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The postponement follows a rapid political shift: Hamas and the faction led by former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan, long-time rivals, announced a joint coalition aimed at challenging Fatah’s grip on power.

Cairo-based talks among the groups paved the way for the new timeline. A senior Fatah one outlet says the original election call was driven by European pressure rather than on-the-ground realities, with Gaza still reeling from extensive destruction and the West Bank facing economic hardship. Analysts note that the Hamas-Dahlan alliance, supported financially by the United Arab Emirates, could alter the Palestinian political map, though it lacks a coherent national programme. Meanwhile, Fatah’s Jibril Rajoub urges a “comprehensive national dialogue” to find common ground before the next election.