Hamas, Islamic Jihad and ex-Fatah official Dahlan form electoral alliance ahead of Palestinian vote

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the exiled former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan have agreed to form an electoral coalition for the Palestinian parliamentary elections, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, citing Palestinian officials. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-hamas-islamic-jihad-and-dahlan-to-run-on-joint-list-in-palestinian-parliamentary-elections/ ; https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910170)

Islamic Jihad’s deputy secretary general, Mohammed al-Hindi, confirmed the alliance in a rare interview with AP in Istanbul on Monday, saying the factions would support a “unified national list” that could be made up of independent figures rather than members of the groups themselves. Islamic Jihad has never taken part in Palestinian Authority-run elections. It is unclear whether the Palestinian Authority will allow the list to participate. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-hamas-islamic-jihad-and-dahlan-to-run-on-joint-list-in-palestinian-parliamentary-elections/ ; https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/artc-mohammed-dahlan-hamas-and-islamic-jihad-form-electoral-alliance-report)

Dahlan, a former Fatah security chief, went into exile in 2010 after a bitter falling-out with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, having 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. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-hamas-islamic-jihad-and-dahlan-to-run-on-joint-list-in-palestinian-parliamentary-elections/)

Dahlan’s spokesman Dimitri Diliani did not confirm the reported alliance when asked by The Jerusalem Post, though he stopped short of denying it, acknowledging that multiple factions are working towards a unified list. (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910170)

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said in a September 26 interview that his movement would take part in the elections as part of a “national coalition”, and the Post reported he had affirmed earlier this week to Al Araby TV that Hamas planned to run in November. Abbas says the parliamentary vote will be held on November 28 in Gaza and the West Bank — the first national elections in 20 years, after the last ballot in 2006 — though he has repeatedly delayed them, most recently in 2021. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-hamas-islamic-jihad-and-dahlan-to-run-on-joint-list-in-palestinian-parliamentary-elections/ ; https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910170)

Registration for candidate lists opened several days ago. The Palestinian Central Elections Commission says six lists have already submitted applications, though none has been approved yet. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-hamas-islamic-jihad-and-dahlan-to-run-on-joint-list-in-palestinian-parliamentary-elections/)

The move sits against the backdrop of the US plan for Gaza, which stipulated that Hamas would have no role in governing the territory and would disarm — provisions whose implementation remains contested. (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910170)

Sources

• Associated Press, carried by The Times of Israel liveblog, 29 September 2026: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-hamas-islamic-jihad-and-dahlan-to-run-on-joint-list-in-palestinian-parliamentary-elections/
• The Jerusalem Post, 30 September 2026: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910170
• i24News: https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/artc-mohammed-dahlan-hamas-and-islamic-jihad-form-electoral-alliance-report