The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has announced it will participate in the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for November 28, marking a significant potential shift in the region’s political landscape, according to regional media reports. The vote, if successfully convened, will represent the first parliamentary election of its kind in approximately two decades following a lengthy history of delays and administrative fractures.
Speaking to the local television channel Al-Aqsa, Husam Badran, head of the Hamas National Relations Bureau and a member of its political bureau, stated that the group is actively collaborating with numerous Palestinian factions to build a broad electoral coalition. According to Badran, the objective is to form a unified national electoral block that encompasses a wide spectrum of Palestinian society rather than pursuing an isolated political campaign.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree on July 9, formally setting November 28 as the date for the legislative polls. The upcoming election aims to choose the members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the unicameral legislative body established following the 1993 Oslo Accords. Eligible voters across the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem are expected to be called to the polls.
Building a Broad Electoral Coalition Across Factions
Hamas officials have emphasized that the movement is seeking consensus across the Palestinian political spectrum. Badran noted that discussions with various factions began weeks ago to establish a shared political platform. By avoiding rigid preconditions and rejecting the principle of imposing individual vetoes, the group aims to secure a minimum political consensus among disparate political actors, as reported by Democrata.es.
While organizing its electoral strategy, Hamas has maintained that it will firmly oppose any restructuring of the national political system that attempts to sideline or exclude the movement. The upcoming legislative contest follows local council elections held on April 25, which included voting in Deir al-Balah within the central Gaza Strip. That local vote marked the first electoral exercise in the enclave in more than twenty years, taking place against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire established in October 2025 following a protracted military conflict.
Historical Precedents and Past Political Divides
The last legislative elections took place in 2006 and resulted in a victory for the Change and Reform list, associated with Hamas, across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Those election outcomes faced immediate rejection from Israel and the United States, alongside the Palestinian Authority itself, triggering a deep internal rift that led to a lasting administrative and territorial split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In the years following the 2006 vote, parliamentary and presidential elections were repeatedly postponed. While limited municipal and local elections proceeded in the West Bank in 2012, 2017, and 2022, no general parliamentary votes were organized in Gaza. These continuous delays frequently drew sharp domestic criticism regarding the legitimacy and mandate of the Palestinian leadership.
Key Domestic Priorities and Next Steps
As political factions prepare for the late-November ballot, the envisioned legislative platform prioritizes addressing urgent humanitarian and administrative needs. According to statements detailed by Democrata.es, priorities include directing financial and material assistance to the Gaza Strip, supporting communities in the West Bank, stabilizing financial systems, countering settlement expansion, addressing the status of prisoners and “martyrs”, and reforming the national educational system.
Official preparations for the November 28 legislative vote continue as election authorities and political factions work out logistical arrangements across the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
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