Published on 6/28/2026
Palestinian factions called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hold an urgent meeting of the factions’ secretaries-general, with the aim of launching a national dialogue, holding comprehensive elections, and developing a unified strategy to confront the current challenges.
This came in a joint statement issued by the Hamas movements, Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian National Initiative, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command.
The factions stressed that “the unified temporary leadership framework, which was agreed upon in the national reconciliation agreements, the most recent of which is the Beijing Agreement, represents the comprehensive national transitional reference capable of leading this stage, strengthening the national partnership, and ensuring the continuity of the work of national institutions on consensual foundations.”
In July 2024, the Palestinian factions announced, in a statement following the conclusion of a national meeting held by 14 factions in the Chinese capital, Beijing, their agreement to reach “comprehensive national unity” that includes all forces within the framework of the PLO, and to form an interim national consensus government to manage the affairs of the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.
The factions’ statement on Sunday stressed that national unity and political partnership are the only option to confront the war of annihilation and plans to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
He stressed that any steps related to rebuilding and developing Palestinian national institutions must be “based on comprehensive national consensus and inclusive dialogue, in a way that enhances the legitimacy of national institutions, maintains unity of ranks, and dedicates the approach of partnership and integration as the basic guarantee for protecting the national project.”
The factions warned of the danger of “any attempts to re-engineer the Palestinian political system in response to external pressures or dictates.”
The statement explained that the real gateway to restoring national unity and renewing the legitimacy of national institutions begins with “a call for a comprehensive national dialogue that includes all Palestinian factions, and is based on the principles of partnership, democracy, and national consensus.”
The statement called for the necessity of giving priority to the higher national interest and uniting ranks to confront the dangers targeting the Palestinians, including “projects of displacement, ethnic cleansing, annexation, and the liquidation of national rights.”
Perpetuating division
In addition, the Palestinians in Europe Initiative for National Action called on President Abbas to withdraw from the call for holding elections for the Palestinian National Council in its current form next November.
She warned that the call, in its current form, may lead to perpetuating division, overcoming previous national consensuses, and marginalizing large sectors of the Palestinian people, especially millions of Palestinians who are dispersed and forcibly spread throughout various countries of the world.
She considered that the call for elections, in its announced form and mechanisms, does not respond – in its current form – to the requirements of this delicate national stage, calling for the immediate initiation of a serious and comprehensive Palestinian national dialogue, based on the principle of non-exclusion.
She stressed the need for the dialogue to ensure full partnership between all Palestinian components, and to be based on previous national consensuses, foremost among which is rebuilding the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, on comprehensive national and democratic foundations.
The initiative called for holding comprehensive, free and fair elections for a new Palestinian National Council, with the participation of the Palestinian people at home and abroad, while adopting consensus in countries and regions where holding elections is not possible.
She demonstrated that the Palestinian people, who over many decades have made the greatest sacrifices in defense of their land and national rights, deserve a unified, legitimate, and elected national leadership that expresses their free will, unites their energies, and leads their struggle toward freedom, return, and independence.
Amending the election law
On June 14, President Abbas issued a decision amending the General Elections Law, which included raising the number of members of the Legislative Council from 132 to 200, lowering the nomination age from 28 to 23 years, and requiring at least one woman for every 3 candidates, as part of preparation for the upcoming legislative and national elections.
The decision came after years of disruption of the Legislative Council, which was dissolved by a decision of Abbas in 2018, while its last elections took place in 2006.
The Palestine National Council is the supreme legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and is considered the “Parliament of the Palestinian People” that represents Palestinians at home and in the diaspora.
On February 2, Abbas issued a decree calling on Palestinians at home and in the diaspora to participate in the National Council elections scheduled for November 1, 2026.
The Palestinian cause is facing the most difficult circumstances in its history, as the occupation continues its war on the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years, resulting in the death of 73,54 Palestinians and the injury of 173,480 others, while settlement operations in the occupied West Bank are escalating, in addition to the worsening suffering of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
