Hamas plans to run in Palestinian elections, vows to continue 'resistance,' leader Hayya says

Hamas will continue dedicating itself to “resistance” and fully intends to run as part of a coalition in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in November, Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya told Al Araby TV on Saturday.

In an in-depth 40-minute interview, Al-Hayya said Hamas “will resist the occupation with all our legitimate tools and means permitted to us by charters, norms, international laws and Divine Laws (Sharia Law).”

“We will continue resisting and confronting the occupation with all our tools, with everything we possess,” he said, adding that Hamas’s October 7 attacks that led to the war with Israel were a “continuation of a people confronting occupation.”

“October 7 came as a response to the attempt to erase the Palestinian cause, the attempt to target and build the Zionist entity inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Israeli occupation's ambitions in the West Bank,” he insisted.

While asserting it was the international community’s responsibility to stop the “genocide” in Gaza, Al-Hayya celebrated what he saw as Israel’s “rejection by the world” at the United Nations General Assembly last week, when tens of officials walked out or missed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.

Athletes, politicians, journalists say 'enough' to the 'Israeli occupation'

“It would have been better for Netanyahu to be prevented rather than President Mahmoud Abbas,” he remarked, in reference to Washington’s decision to bar Abbas from the international event.

“There has been a solidarity movement among all groups, including athletes, journalists, politicians and artists. All of this represents an international situation saying to the Israeli occupation: Enough,” he continued. “Even among Jews. Therefore, at this time we say that this official and popular international situation is significant.”

Outside of discussing the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, and blaming Israel for the growing instability in the region, Al-Hayya used the platform as an opportunity to signal to Abbas that Hamas would be willing to attend talks with Fatah and intends to run in the PLC election.

Likely referencing the reported agreement with Mohammed Dahlan’s Reform Democratic faction, Al-Hayya confirmed the formation of the electoral coalition and confirmed Hamas was participating in preparing lists ahead of the election.

The acknowledgment, despite Al-Hayya’s insistence that Hamas had followed US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, could potentially violate the plan’s 13th point, which requires Hamas and other factions to agree not to have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly or in any form.

Al-Hayya insisted that, even if the November elections are postponed, the coalition “open to all forces” will continue operating.

“We have been living for months in preparation for this,” he admitted. “We want to put our Palestinian house in order.”

Al-Hayya added that Hamas was watching the Israeli elections closely, though insisted all the parties “have dipped their hands in our blood” and that Palestinian suffering was the fuel for the elections.