Gaza city: Hamas will participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections under the broadest possible national coalition, according to a member of the group's political bureau. Hussam Badran announced the decision during an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, emphasizing that Hamas, along with most Palestinian factions and electoral blocs, opposes the imposition of political conditions or the requirement for participants to adopt a specific political program.
According to Anadolu Agency, Badran highlighted that the Palestinian Central Elections Commission and judiciary are working to ensure that Palestinians can freely choose their political program. He described the forthcoming elections as a historic opportunity to transform the Palestinian political landscape and to end two decades of unilateral decision-making on national affairs.
Badran further expressed that the elections were long overdue, criticizing the Palestinian leadership for unilaterally determining the timing and procedures. He noted that previous elections in 2006 and 2021 were conducted following detailed national consensus, unlike the current scenario. He emphasized Palestinians' inherent right to choose their leaders and political programs, whether through legislative elections in the Palestinian territories or elections for the Palestinian National Council, which he described as the broader representative body for Palestinians.
Recently, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that legislative elections will be held on November 28, 2026, followed by the convening of the National Council and presidential elections in 2027. The Palestinian Legislative Council has been inactive since 2007, following the political split and Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip. Abbas dissolved the council in 2018, and the last Palestinian legislative elections were held in 2006.
The Palestinian political system has remained divided since 2007, with Hamas administering Gaza, which has been the site of conflict with Israel since October 2023, while a government formed by the Fatah movement administers the occupied West Bank.