Abbas Cancels Palestinian Authority Elections and Postpones Them to September 11, 2027

Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Abbas, signed a presidential decree canceling the elections to the Palestinian parliament scheduled for November 28 and postponing them to September 11, 2027, and according to the report, behind the decision stands his fear of an electoral bloc of Muhammad Dahlan with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

According to the presidential decree signed by Abbas, the date of voting for the Palestinian parliament, which was planned for November 28, was postponed to September 11, 2027. The decision comes two days after reports on the Qatari al-Arabiya network, according to which Abbas was preparing to block the procedure moments before the deadline for submitting lists on the coming Sunday.

Spokesman for Fatah, Jamal Nzal, claimed that the postponement comes after Israel sabotaged the preparation of the conditions necessary for holding the elections. According to him, among other things, UN Security Council Resolution 2803 was not implemented, international stabilization forces were not deployed in the Gaza Strip and the IDF did not withdraw from the Strip.

According to N12 reporting, behind the decision stands Abbas's fear of losing control, against the backdrop of the cooperation that Hamas and Islamic Jihad wove with former senior Fatah figure Muhammad Dahlan, in order to create a joint electoral bloc. Deputy Secretary General of Islamic Jihad Muhammad al-Hindi and spokesmen of Dahlan's faction confirmed that they are working to promote a unified national list of independents.

The last general elections to the Palestinian parliament were held in 2006, when Hamas won, which took control by force of the Gaza Strip in 2007. In 2021 Abbas announced elections and cancelled them at the last moment, claiming that Israel refuses to allow voting in East Jerusalem.