Palestinians are preparing for legislative elections scheduled for November 28, 2026, the first in 20 years, in an effort to renew the legitimacy of the political system and prepare for postwar arrangements in the Gaza Strip. Presidential and national elections are expected to follow in the first quarter of 2027.
The electoral process faces political, security and logistical challenges amid the war in Gaza, incursions in the West Bank and violations in Jerusalem. Questions have also been raised about whether the vote can be held on schedule and whether agreed electoral rules and a fair and transparent competitive environment can be ensured. Dallal Areikat, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, said the absence of the Legislative Council and oversight had led to “much abuse and corruption in the administration.”
Elections as a gateway to renewed legitimacy and reform
She described the elections as necessary to rebuild the political system and open the way for young people, women and independent professionals, as well as a step toward reforms required of the Palestinian leadership. Ihab Muharemah, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, said the elections aim to renew political legitimacy and prepare the Palestinian Authority for postwar arrangements.
He linked the decision to hold them to international, regional and domestic pressure, including American and European calls for reform, a Saudi-French role through the “New York Declaration,” and popular pressure viewing the vote as a way out of the crisis.
Restrictions and checkpoints hinder preparations for the vote
Areikat said Israeli restrictions and checkpoints were hindering daily movement in the West Bank, explaining that the journey between Ramallah and Jericho, a distance of less than 30 kilometers, could take an hour and a half. She added that a European committee was studying the logistical aspects of the electoral process amid ongoing arrests and threats.
Mohammad Mshainesh, a member of the General Secretariat of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, said national consensus was “not only possible, but an absolute necessity,” calling for agreement on the rules governing the electoral process, their protection, guarantees of fair competition, and the prioritization of the national interest over partisan interests. Areikat, for her part, called for comprehensive dialogue among the factions, international guarantees of integrity, and all parties' commitment to the results.
Muharemah warned that postponing the elections would represent a new setback for the Palestinian national project, while Areikat said it would lead to “reproducing the Palestinian crisis.”
Muharemah stressed at the same time that elections would not resolve all the challenges facing Palestinians, pointing to settlements, the seizure of land, the Judaization of Jerusalem, the blockade, attempts to abolish the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and the rights of refugees, and violations against prisoners. According to Muharemah, the “resistance camp” agreed to take part in the elections despite its reservations, based on the need for a collective approach to the existing challenges.
Warnings over postponement and debate on potential alliances
The political debate includes the possibility that Mohammed Dahlan, the expelled Fatah leader, and the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” could participate in an electoral bloc, amid questions about the bloc's objectives and chances of success.
