Palestinians are awaiting an official announcement by President Mahmoud Abbas postponing elections scheduled for Nov. 28, after his Fatah movement agreed on the delay with Palestinian factions, a move that came as little surprise. An informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that a postponement had been expected from the moment Abbas issued the election decree. “The decree came in response to external requests and pressure to renew political mandates and carry out reforms. No one here was ready for that, neither Fatah, Hamas nor the other factions were ready for elections,” the source said. “Although everyone publicly supported holding these elections, everyone pushed to postpone them ... So far, no major faction has formed its electoral list and submitted it to the election commission.” The source said the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, which meets on Saturday, was expected to recommend that Abbas postpone the elections to give national dialogue a chance, citing complex political and security conditions unsuitable for a vote at present. It was unclear whether Abbas would set a new date or announce that the elections would take place in the final quarter of next year, as many sources expect. Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh has already informed France that the polls would be postponed for several months because of deteriorating conditions in the Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters. "The assessment concluded that the anticipated political, security and economic conditions, on which the scheduling of the legislative elections for 28 November 2026 was based, have not materialized," said the letter, which was addressed to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and dated October 8. It added that "holding them under the current circumstances faces fundamental obstacles affecting their inclusiveness, freedom of participation and the integrity of the electoral process." Palestinians have not held presidential elections since 2005 or legislative elections since 2006. Those votes took place before Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip and expelled forces loyal to Abbas, who had announced that legislative elections would take place in November as part of sweeping Palestinian Authority reforms he launched after Oct. 7, 2023. These included reconstituting the Central Elections Commission, creating the posts of deputy chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and vice president of the State of Palestine, and forming a committee to draft an interim constitution for the transition from the PA to statehood. The reforms also included appointing new heads of nearly all the security services, retiring hundreds of officers with the rank of brigadier general by presidential decree, and local elections in the West Bank and Gaza, followed by elections for Fatah’s leadership. Despite these reforms, Palestinians remained skeptical that presidential and legislative elections would take place. Sheikh’s letter confirmed that the elections would be postponed. The letter said Palestinian officials had expected conditions to improve through the implementation of US President Donald Trump's peace initiative and a UN Security Council resolution, including the deployment of international forces and Palestinian police in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. It said the Palestinians had also anticipated US efforts to prevent further annexation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, curb settler violence and secure the release of nearly $7 billion in Palestinian funds withheld by Israel. "However, these steps, understandings and promises have not materialized. Rather, conditions have worsened throughout the Palestinian territory," the letter said, outlining in detail security issues in Gaza and the West Bank. Based on their assessment, Palestinian officials recommended to Abbas "that the date of the legislative elections be adjusted by several months, and that dialogue continue to prepare the internal conditions", the letter said. It added that Abbas had been advised to issue a decree adjusting the date for holding elections to the first half of September 2027. Fatah divisions and factional concerns Beyond the reasons cited by Sheikh, other sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that divisions within Fatah were a major factor behind the move to postpone the elections. The sources said there was no clear agreement with senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, who had launched an initiative ahead of the elections to “unite Fatah, with all its blocs and currents.” There were concerns that he might push to form a separate electoral list. Barghouti intends to run for president rather than the legislature, but his support for a list competing with Fatah’s official slate could reshape the contest. Fatah also faced a challenge from the reformist faction led by former movement official Mohammed Dahlan, who had agreed with Hamas to form a joint electoral list that would include other factions. It was unclear whether he might later join Barghouti if the latter formed his own list. Some disgruntled Fatah officials had also already begun forming their own lists. Fatah wants to contest the elections on a single list, which will require more time and internal consultations. An earlier attempt to reconcile with Dahlan’s faction also failed, despite regional efforts to resolve the dispute by bringing it back into Fatah or having it form a new Palestinian political party. Hamas, meanwhile, had yet to make a final decision and needed a broad, strong alliance after pledging not to contest the elections under its own name or through its known leaders and members. Hamas and Islamic Jihad also supported postponing the elections. Before the other factions, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine had called for a delay to give national dialogue a chance. “Everyone was pushing for a postponement. This is not just about the Palestinian Authority and Fatah,” the source said. Palestinians cannot decide on elections alone; Israel also has a decisive say. The Israeli government refused to allow the Palestinian Central Elections Commission to enter Gaza and Jerusalem to oversee election preparations. An official Palestinian source told the official WAFA news agency on Tuesday that Israel’s refusal to allow the commission into Gaza and Jerusalem had created a direct obstacle to holding elections across all Palestinian territories.
