https://arab.news/94xn9
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last month pledged a series of political reforms, including holding general presidential and parliamentary elections one year after the Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect. These commitments were made in a letter to the French-Saudi conveners of the high-level conference at the UN, which led to many important countries recognizing the state of Palestine.
If this commitment holds now that a ceasefire has been reached, Palestinians could be heading to the polls in October 2026 — a critical moment for the future of the Palestinian national movement and its political institutions. Elections will be held to choose both a president and the Palestinian Legislative Council. It is also possible that elections and, in some areas, appointments will take place to fill the remaining seats of the Palestine National Council, the top legislative body for all 14.3 million Palestinians around the world.
Yet, major questions remain. Will the Islamist movement Hamas participate directly in the elections? The answer is far from certain. Participation, according to the public pledge made by Abbas, requires adherence to the international commitments previously signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization, which include political and social agreements recognizing Israel and guaranteeing the rights of women and children. These obligations also encompass Palestine’s 2018 accession to the Second Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at abolishing the death penalty.
Given the ideological stance of Hamas and other hard-line factions, it is unlikely the movement will fully comply with these requirements. At best, some of its affiliates may run independently, possibly on local or clan-based lists. But even if Hamas and similar groups largely abstain, this does not automatically translate into an easy victory for the Palestinian national movement or PLO-affiliated parties.
Convincing the Palestinian public that these movements are fit to lead will require more than mere promises
Daoud Kuttab
Decades of governance by Fatah and other PLO factions have been marred by unilateral decision-making, allegations of corruption, nepotism and the misuse of governmental authority for personal and family interests. Convincing the Palestinian public — particularly the younger generations — that these movements are fit to lead will require more than mere promises; it will require tangible reforms and credible leadership renewal.
Fatah has taken tentative steps to address these challenges. Its Central Committee reinstated Nasser Al-Kidwa to his former positions after his removal for attempting to form an alternative electoral list in 2021. His return reflects a delicate balancing act: maintaining party unity while signaling a willingness to reconcile with internal dissent.
At the same time, baby steps have been taken to confront corruption, including the recent arrest of a minister and an attempt to detain the director of border crossings, who fled to Estonia — the only European country not cooperating with Palestinian Interpol requests. These actions indicate that the leadership recognizes the need to tackle systemic weaknesses, but they may not be enough to restore public trust or resolve deep-seated institutional decay.
A critical factor in the upcoming elections will be the status of Marwan Barghouti, the prominent Fatah leader currently imprisoned. Without his release or at least his formal nomination — even from prison — any other candidate will struggle to galvanize sufficient public support. It is equally unlikely that the national movement will secure a decisive majority in the legislative council or the broader national council without a strategy that convincingly addresses both governance shortcomings and public demands for reform.
The Palestinian demographic landscape adds another layer of complexity. The population is overwhelmingly young, digitally connected and increasingly impatient with traditional political structures. Observers in the region, including in Morocco, have noted how Gen Z voters express distinct political aspirations and often oppose established political currents.
Simply relying on historical dominance or established political machinery will no longer suffice
Daoud Kuttab
For Palestinian youth, the appeal of entrenched leadership — dominated by senior figures who have been at the helm for decades — is waning. The next generation of leaders may emerge rapidly, particularly if the national movement fails to integrate new voices, ideas and energy into its ranks.
For Fatah and the broader PLO factions, the challenge is therefore existential. They must act decisively and quickly to rejuvenate their leadership, broaden participation and demonstrate that younger generations are not sidelined but are an integral part of the movement’s future. This entails structural reforms, greater transparency and genuine engagement with grassroots constituencies. Simply relying on historical dominance or established political machinery will no longer suffice in a landscape defined by social media, digital mobilization and heightened political awareness among the youth.
The stakes extend beyond electoral victory. These elections will serve as a litmus test for Palestinian democracy itself, testing whether national institutions can evolve to reflect contemporary societal needs and political expectations. The Palestinian national movement’s ability — or inability — to rise to this challenge will shape the political landscape for decades to come, determining whether it retains credibility or risks irrelevance in the eyes of a younger, more politically assertive population.
The upcoming elections, tentatively set for October 2026, are more than a procedural exercise — they represent a pivotal moment for Palestinian political life. For the national movement and the PLO factions that have dominated Palestinian politics for decades, success will hinge on genuine reform, leadership renewal and the inclusion of imprisoned and young voices in shaping the future.
Without these measures, any electoral exercise risks reinforcing the status quo while alienating the generation that will inherit the responsibility of leading the Palestinian people. The clock is ticking and the Palestinian national movement’s next steps will determine whether it remains a relevant force or becomes a relic of a bygone political era.
- Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of “State of Palestine Now: Practical and Logical Arguments for the Best Way to Bring Peace to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab