In a dramatic step: Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Dahlan join forces against Abbas

Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah senior official and advisor to the UAE ruler, have formed a joint electoral alliance against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The surprising alliance, reported by AP, aims to run together in Palestinian national elections, if they are held, and inflict a defeat on Fatah.

Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah senior official who serves as an advisor to the UAE ruler, have formed a joint electoral alliance against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. This was reported by the AP news agency, citing Palestinian sources. The surprising alliance is intended to run together in the Palestinian national elections, if they are held, and inflict a defeat on Abbas's Fatah party. Dahlan has close ties with the UAE and has conducted extensive contacts with American and Israeli officials throughout the war. The deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad, Mohammed al-Hindi, confirmed the alliance in an interview with AP from Istanbul. He said the alliance would support a "unified national list" that could be composed of independent figures. Dimitri Diliani, a spokesman for Dahlan's "Democratic Reformist Current," confirmed the alliance and said that "the Palestinian Authority has disappointed Gaza and the Palestinian people everywhere." The 90-year-old Abbas said parliamentary elections would be held on November 28, but has repeatedly postponed them in the past. The roots of the alliance lie in shared frustration with Abbas, whose leadership is unpopular among Palestinians.