February 3, 2026 l By Dalena Reporters Middle East Correspondent
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) parliament, the Palestinian National Council (PNC) will hold elections on November 1, 2026, in a historic step toward broader political participation for Palestinians, according to official statements and media reports.
In an official decree issued on Monday, Abbas who also leads the PLO said that members of the National Council will be elected by direct popular vote for the first time. Previously, PNC members were appointed or co-opted from within the movement’s ranks.
The decision to open the electoral process “wherever possible, both inside and outside Palestine” aims to include Palestinians living across the occupied territories and in the diaspora, significantly expanding participation and representation ahead of the council session.
The PNC established initially as the PLO’s legislative body in exile has traditionally been dominated by Fatah, the party co-founded by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The Islamist movements Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, while major forces in Palestinian politics, are not members of the PLO and thus are not directly represented in the council under current structures.
Abbas’s announcement comes amid ongoing efforts to advance Palestinian self-governance and statehood aspirations, even as broader regional conflict and diplomatic deadlock continue to shape political dynamics. The move is being interpreted as an attempt to renew political legitimacy for the PLO’s representative institutions and to address internal calls for reform in Palestinian leadership.
Observers note that political conditions on the ground including restrictions on movement and civic engagement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip could influence how the elections are implemented and whether all Palestinians can participate freely and securely in the process.
The National Council elections mark a rare opening in PLO political practice and could reshape Palestinian political representation if they proceed as scheduled later this year.