Hamas and Fatah prepare for Cairo talks amid coalition-building before Palestinian elections

Aug 19, 2026

Palestinian factions are preparing for historic legislative elections scheduled for November 28, 2026, the first such vote in two decades. Hamas is actively seeking to build a broad electoral coalition, holding talks with Mohammed Dahlan's breakaway Democratic Reform current. While Fatah rejects a joint list with Hamas, both factions are set to meet in Cairo under Egyptian auspices to resume national dialogue and navigate the complex political landscape.

Palestinian legislative elections November 2026

▪Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on July 9, 2026, setting November 28, 2026, as the date for Palestinian legislative elections.
▪The November 28, 2026, vote would mark the first Palestinian legislative elections since January 2006.
▪The Palestinian Central Elections Commission began voter registration and data updates on August 15, 2026, with formal campaigning scheduled to launch on November 6, 2026.

Hamas coalition-building strategy

▪Hamas national relations official Husam Badran asserted that Hamas does not need permission or guarantees from any party, including Israel, to participate in the Palestinian elections.
▪Hamas national relations official Husam Badran stated that Hamas has decided to participate in the November 2026 elections and prefers to run within the widest possible national bloc.

Fatah electoral positioning

▪Fatah spokesperson Abdel Fattah Dawla challenged the legitimacy of a potential opposition alliance, questioning its political and national basis, objectives, and points of reference.
▪Fatah spokesperson Munther al-Hayek stated that the organizational bases of Fatah refuse to participate with Hamas on a single joint electoral list.

Dahlan-Hamas alliance discussions

▪A delegation led by Mohammed Dahlan of the Democratic Reform current met with a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya in Al Alamein, Egypt, on August 17, 2026.
▪Democratic Reform current leader Osama al-Farra revealed that the name of long-imprisoned leader Marwan Barghouti frequently emerges during factional discussions as a potential presidential candidate.

Cairo reconciliation talks

▪Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Khalil al-Hayya led a delegation to Cairo shortly before August 21, 2026, for talks with Egyptian officials and representatives of other Palestinian factions.
▪Fatah and Hamas are preparing to hold a meeting in Cairo during the week of August 24, 2026, under Egyptian auspices to resume national dialogue.

Palestinian political division context

▪Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas previously postponed scheduled parliamentary and presidential elections in 2021, citing Israeli voting restrictions in East Jerusalem.
▪Fatah and Hamas have remained politically divided since 2007, despite signing a reconciliation agreement in Algiers in October 2022 and the Beijing Declaration in July 2024.