Abbas Cancels Palestinian Elections, Postpones Until September 2027

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has officially canceled the upcoming general elections, originally scheduled for November 28, and postponed them until September 11, 2027. This marks the second time in two years that Abbas has called off elections, which have not been held for two decades. The decision follows reports that Abbas was preparing to halt the democratic process ahead of the candidate list submission deadline.

The postponement is seen as a move to maintain Abbas and his loyalists in power at the Mukataa in Ramallah without immediate electoral threat. The official reason given by Fatah spokesperson Jamal Nazzal is that Israel "thwarted the necessary conditions for their holding," citing issues such as the non-implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, the absence of international stabilization forces and Palestinian police in Gaza, Israeli military withdrawal from the strip, ongoing Israeli attacks, and the prevention of the Central Election Commission and observers from entering Gaza.

However, the underlying reason for the cancellation is Abbas's fear of losing control due to the formation of a potentially threatening political alliance. This alliance reportedly involves Hamas and Islamic Jihad collaborating with former Fatah senior official Mohammed Dahlan, who is in exile. Their aim is to create a joint electoral bloc to weaken Abbas.

Mohammad al-Hindi, Deputy Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad, and spokespeople for Dahlan's "Democratic-Reformist Current" have confirmed efforts to promote a "unified national list" of independents. While Dahlan has reportedly conditioned his participation on not including official Hamas operatives on his list, the terror organizations have agreed to provide external support to challenge Abbas's rule. This scenario echoes the last general elections in 2006, which Hamas won, leading to its violent takeover of Gaza in 2007. Since then, Abbas has consistently avoided electoral tests, having previously canceled elections in 2021 under the pretext of Israel's refusal to allow voting in East Jerusalem.