Hamas plans to participate in upcoming Palestinian Legislative Council elections scheduled for November 28, a senior official from the Iran-backed organization announced on Wednesday. Hussam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, stated in an interview with Hamas-operated Al-Aqsa TV that the group intends to run as part of a broad national coalition. According to additional coverage from anews.com.tr, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the election dates days prior, setting legislative polls for November 28, 2026, followed by the National Council and presidential elections in 2027.
November 28 Election Marks First Legislative Vote in 20 Years
The upcoming November vote represents the first Palestinian Legislative Council election in 20 years. In the previous legislative vote held in January 2006, Hamas won 74 seats, while Fatah secured 45 seats. The Palestinian political system has remained deeply divided since 2007, following Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip and the subsequent inactivity of the Legislative Council, which Abbas formally dissolved in 2018. According to anews.com.tr, a government formed by Fatah currently administers the occupied West Bank, while Hamas has administered Gaza, where Israel has waged a war since October 2023.
Badran asserted that Hamas and most Palestinian factions oppose requiring political parties to meet conditions based on their political positions to run. Candidates participating in the election are officially required to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Badran described the upcoming vote as a historic opportunity to alter the Palestinian situation and end two decades of unilateral decision-making in national affairs. He also criticized the timing, claiming the elections are occurring without a national consensus.
Al-Aqsa Mosque Tensions and West Bank Strategy
Addressing the group’s broader priorities, Badran stated that Hamas remains intensely focused on the status of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The mosque compound, located on the Temple Mount—Judaism’s holiest site—has experienced rising tensions. Arab and Muslim countries condemned the increased presence of Jewish worshippers and prayers at the site. Under longstanding arrangements, the Temple Mount is administered day-to-day by the Jordanian Waqf, while Israel maintains overall security control. Non-Muslims may visit the compound but are not officially permitted to pray there.
Badran claimed that the Al-Aqsa Mosque represents the core of the conflict with Israel, accusing the Israeli government of exploiting the war in Gaza to alter the longstanding status quo at the site. Furthermore, he alleged that the West Bank has become part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy to expand Israeli reach. According to Badran, the Netanyahu government has adopted the objective of resolving the conflict with the Palestinian people in the West Bank, where he claimed Palestinian blood serves as a propaganda tool as Israeli elections approach.
Focus on Detained Palestinian Prisoners
Prisoner releases remain a central issue for Hamas amid mounting international pressure on the Palestinian Authority to end its financial support for individuals who commit attacks against Israel. Badran emphasized that securing the freedom of Palestinians currently in detention is a primary focus for the organization. Hamas previously secured the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners through hostage-prisoner exchanges following its October 7 invasion of southern Israel, utilizing those events to bolster its propaganda campaigns and rally regional support.
Looking ahead, Hamas’s integration into a broad national coalition could reshape the domestic Palestinian landscape if the November 28 vote proceeds as scheduled. However, questions remain regarding how international actors and rival factions will handle the group’s participation, particularly given the ongoing fracture between Gaza and the West Bank.
Related reading