{
  "id": 14023225,
  "title": "Hamas, Dahlan and Barghouti: Palestinian hopes fade as elections cancelled",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/hamas-dahlan-and-barghouti-palestinian-hopes-fade-as-elections",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T18:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/hamas-dahlan-and-barghouti-palestinian-hopes-fade-elections-cancelled"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hamas, Dahlan and Barghouti: Palestinian hopes fade as elections cancelled\n\nPalestinian political hopes appear to be fading as the Palestinian Authority (PA) has cancelled upcoming elections. The cancellation comes three years after the 7 October 2023 anniversary, during which Israel tightened its grip on the West Bank. The cancellation of the elections marks another failed attempt at political progress in the occupied Palestinian territories.\n\nAccording to a senior Fatah contact, Mohammed Dahlan, a Hamas aide living in exile, was attempting to form a coalition with Hamas and the imprisoned Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti for the upcoming election. However, despite the talks reportedly going well, Palestinians remain skeptical of the election's prospects due to a history of delays and cancellations.\n\nThe PA's decision to cancel the elections underscores the ongoing challenges of Palestinian governance under Israel's occupation. The closures and restrictions on movement have left Palestinians facing a dire economic situation, with many businesses shuttered and essential services strained.\n\nIn a separate incident, a disabled Palestinian man, Saleem, shared the tragic story of his nine-year-old son, Akram, who is being treated in an Israeli hospital after being hit by a car. Israeli authorities have refused to grant the boy's parents permits to visit him, leaving him alone and surrounded by strangers in a Jewish hospital.",
  "summary": "Hamas, Dahlan and Barghouti: Palestinian hopes fade as elections cancelled Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Mon, 10/12/2026 - 19:03 Talks had reportedly been underway about a coalition among the nation's most popular political forces A mural depicts imprisoned Fatah official Marwan Barghouti on Israel’s separation barrier in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, on 24 December 2024 (Ahmad…",
  "key_points": [
    "Palestinian Authority cancels elections, marking another failed attempt at progress.",
    "Hamas, Dahlan, and Barghouti attempted coalition for elections, but prospects remain skeptical.",
    "Disabled Palestinian boy's parents denied visitation rights in Israeli hospital."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}