Channel 14 News Israel

Category: Israel

  • Spain’s Youth Minister: Public Wants ‘Palestine’ River to Sea

    Spain’s Youth Minister: Public Wants ‘Palestine’ River to Sea

    The strained relationship between Israel and Spain hit a new low: At the direction of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Spain’s chargé d’affaires in Israel, Francisca Pedros, was summoned Monday for a sharp rebuke at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. The meeting was conducted by Gilad Cohen, head of the ministry’s strategic-political division, following remarks by Spain’s Youth and Children’s Minister Sira Rego, who declared that the Spanish public supports establishing a ‘Palestinian’ state “from the river to the sea.”

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez | Photo: Shutterstock

    Jerusalem made clear it views this as a slogan whose practical meaning is the erasure of the State of Israel, and argued the move is no accident but part of a systematic anti-Israel policy led by Spain’s far-left government and its head, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

    This isn’t the first time Minister Rego has sparked a sharp confrontation with Israel. On September 8, 2025, Minister Sa’ar announced a sweeping entry ban to Israel against her and against Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz. The Israeli move came in response to a package of measures implemented by Sánchez, and drew condemnation from Madrid, which called the ban “unacceptable.”

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar | Photo: Yonatan Sindel, Flash90

    The Foreign Ministry emphasized today that Rego’s current remarks represent the current leftist government line in Madrid: “The words of the youth minister, who in the past chose not to condemn the October 7 massacre and in September 2025 was even banned from entering Israel, reflect the direction of the current radical left government in Spain: support for a vision that means the elimination of the State of Israel.”

    The current tension rests on a series of sanctions and practical measures advanced by the Sánchez government in September 2025 around the war in Gaza. At the center of these moves was enshrining in law an arms embargo on Israel, which Madrid claims has been implemented in practice since October 2023. Alongside this, restrictions were imposed on passage through Spanish ports for ships carrying fuel for use by Israel’s armed forces, as well as a ban on entry to Spanish airspace for aircraft carrying security equipment for Israel.

    Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares | Photo: Reuters

    Later that month, a government order was approved that enshrined a ban on buying and selling security equipment and dual-use technologies with Israel, and expanded restrictions on military fuel transit by air and sea. Spain also advanced a ban on importing products from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, restricted consular services to Spanish citizens living in them, expanded economic support to the ‘Palestinian’ Authority, and announced an additional €10 million for UNRWA and a target of €150 million in aid to Gaza during 2026.

    The current crisis is the peak of sustained political distancing between Jerusalem and Madrid. Spain has positioned itself as one of Israel’s sharpest critics in Europe, particularly after it officially recognized a ‘Palestinian’ state in May 2024 and worked in the international arena to increase political pressure on Israel. The September 2025 decisions moved the confrontation from the declarative level to actual economic and security actions, and led to Spain’s ambassador to Israel being recalled for consultations after the entry ban on Ministers Rego and Díaz.

  • New Neighborhood in Samaria Named for Fallen IDF Soldier

    New Neighborhood in Samaria Named for Fallen IDF Soldier

    A new trailer neighborhood called Kerem Hillel in the town of Migdalim in the eastern Samaria region was established in memory of Staff Sgt. Hillel Diner, who was killed in combat—and was dedicated Monday morning in an emotional ceremony attended by his family. Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan recited the special blessing for establishing a new town in the Land of Israel: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sets the boundary of the widow,” together with the residents—and promised: “We will connect Samaria to the Jordan Valley.”

    The neighborhood was established in memory of the IDF soldier, Staff Sgt. Hillel Diner, who gave his life and fell in battles in Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip. The neighborhood dedication ceremony took place in a festive atmosphere, with about 15 families who settled there participating. During the ceremony, Hillel’s brother Elishiv moved attendees, saying that through their bereavement, his family finds comfort in holding onto the Land of Israel: “We are happy to be the hosts and to continue his path in building the land.”

    Photo: Samaria Regional Council Spokesperson’s Unit

    Town representative Hadass Madmon blessed the gathering: “We are privileged to see with our own eyes the fulfillment of the words of the prophets. Migdalim is expanding its borders thanks to pioneering families who chose to come, build, and add another layer to this home. The neighborhood that will be established here will be strong in values and will serve as a spearhead for much more action and resettlement in the area. Residents of Kerem Hillel, you brought with you your special character, strength, and dreams, and together we will continue to expand, build, and make this place flourish.”

  • Dutch University Suspends Gazan Who Claimed Role in Oct. 7

    Dutch University Suspends Gazan Who Claimed Role in Oct. 7

    A Gazan student at Maastricht University in the Netherlands was temporarily suspended after posting a video on Instagram in which he claimed to have taken part in the October 7 massacre.

    In the video, which has since been deleted, the student watched footage from the massacre, pointed to masked terrorists, and said: “That’s me.”

    The university confirmed the video’s existence and took immediate disciplinary action. A university spokesperson said the student has been suspended and is not allowed on campus or to attend classes. “During the suspension period, we will examine whether and under what conditions the student can continue his studies at the academy,” the spokesperson said. The university has not officially confirmed whether his claims are true or false.

    In an official statement, the university said the disturbing content and reactions to it caused significant uproar. “The publication and responses were a serious concern, and we could not ignore the fear and unrest created among the student community,” the statement read. “Suspending the student was a necessary step to allow academic activity to continue safely, without threats and without disruptions.”

    The student maintains a popular Instagram account with about 30,000 followers, where he regularly posts content—including images displaying jihadist material. Posts on his account also reference family members, including a reference to his brother who died in Jabaliya. Next to a photo of his brother, the student wrote: “I ask Allah to end my life the same way as yours, my brother.”

  • Hamas Power Struggle: Battle for Gaza Leadership Heats Up

    Hamas Power Struggle: Battle for Gaza Leadership Heats Up

    Hamas, the jihadist group elected by Gazans, is expected to hold a runoff election this week for leadership of the strip, after the first round held several weeks ago ended without a winner, Arab media reported Sunday.

    Hamas terrorists in Gaza | Photo: Shutterstock

    According to the report, two jihadists are competing for the position: Nizar Awadallah and Ali al-Amudi. In the first round, neither managed to secure the required majority, partly because some voters cast blank ballots.

    The race has also exposed a power struggle among Hamas’s senior leadership. According to sources in the report, Khaled Mashal has been working recently with members of the organization’s Shura Council to rally support for Awadallah. Zaher Jabarin, Hamas’s official in charge of the group in Judea and Samaria, also backs him.

    Khalil al-Hayya | Photo: Arab media outlets

    Al-Amudi, meanwhile, has the support of Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas, according to the report. Al-Amudi is considered a figure who was close to arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar, dating back to their time together in Israeli prison.

    The report also said that in recent weeks, some voters have shifted their positions. At the start of the race, al-Amudi enjoyed significantly more support. According to sources, these shifts have strengthened Awadallah’s chances heading into the runoff.

    Khaled Mashal | Photo: Arab networks

    Awadallah is considered one of the senior figures of the terror organization’s older generation and was close to terrorists Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi. In 2021, he ran against Yahya Sinwar for leadership of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza, in a contest that lasted several rounds and ended with Sinwar’s victory.

    According to Saudi media, the current race is part of a broader reorganization at the top of Hamas following the war and the killing of a string of senior figures in the organization. The report also claimed that regional developments, including the blows to Iran and Hezbollah, have led Hamas to reassess its balance of power and the organization’s policies.

  • Israel Hits Back at Dutch Ban, Revokes Diplomatic Credentials

    Israel Hits Back at Dutch Ban, Revokes Diplomatic Credentials

    Following a series of hostile measures taken by the Dutch government against Israel, and the entry into force last week of a decree banning the import and trade of products from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar informed the Dutch Embassy in Israel on Sunday evening that Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days.

    Photo: Chaim Goldberg, Flash 90

    At the end of that period, the privileges and immunities granted to the diplomats by the State of Israel under those credentials will expire. The Foreign Ministry made clear that if the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the ‘Palestinians,’ it may do so from territory controlled by the ‘Palestinian’ Authority rather than from sovereign Israeli territory. The measure follows another step taken by Sa’ar last month, when he ordered the Dutch delegation removed from the International Support Center for Gaza operating in Kiryat Gat. That decision has already been fully implemented.

    “We reiterate that Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it and will take determined retaliatory action against any such attempt,” Jerusalem said. The message was accompanied by an additional warning: “Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose its influence and relevance in the region.”

    Netherlands airport | Photo Shutterstock

    The Dutch restrictions, however, extend considerably further than ordinary commercial imports. Under rules that took effect on September 22, travelers entering the Netherlands are also prohibited from carrying products originating in the areas covered by the measure in their personal luggage — including goods intended for personal use, souvenirs and gifts. The Dutch Customs Administration states that its officers may inspect travelers’ luggage and question passengers about the origin of products they are carrying. Passengers who recently arrived in Amsterdam aboard an El Al flight from Tel Aviv reported that Dutch customs officers searched their luggage to determine whether they were carrying products covered by the new restrictions, indicating that enforcement has already extended directly to individual travelers.

    טיסות קרדיט: שאטרסטוק
    Flights Credit: Shutterstock

    According to the Dutch Customs Administration, prohibited goods discovered during an inspection may be voluntarily surrendered. If a traveler refuses, customs officials may seize the items and file an official report, after which Dutch prosecutors can determine whether further penalties should follow. The Dutch government says the measure does not prohibit goods originating within Israel’s internationally recognized pre-1967 lines, but applies to products wholly or partly produced or obtained in the areas covered by the decree.

    In Israel, officials are also directly blaming the government in Amsterdam for its broader policies toward the Jewish state, while stressing what they describe as an urgent need for Dutch authorities to take stronger action against Jew-hatred and incitement increasingly visible on the country’s streets. Israeli diplomatic officials say that not only have Dutch authorities failed to adequately confront the growing Jew-hatred and incitement, but that the Dutch government’s increasingly anti-Israel policies are themselves helping to fuel the phenomenon.

  • Inside INS Dragon: Israel’s Deadliest and Most Expensive Sub

    Inside INS Dragon: Israel’s Deadliest and Most Expensive Sub

    At the heart of the IDF’s most expensive and sophisticated war machine lies the power of INS Dragon. Nearly 14 years passed from when the submarine was ordered from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp shipyards until the day it first arrived at its home port in Haifa. Dragon is the largest submarine in the history of the Israeli Navy—one that, according to assessments, gives the naval arm unprecedented capabilities for striking deep inland targets.

    Alongside these strike capabilities, and according to foreign publications, Dragon is equipped with a VLS (Vertical Launch System). This advanced system enables the launch of exceptionally large cruise missiles, and likely even nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, at enormous ranges that could reach thousands of kilometers. The Navy notes that the name was chosen as a symbolic tribute to the submarine Dakar due to the similar letters, but it’s hard not to speculate that choosing the name Dragon—that legendary fire-breathing monster—is closely tied to the new submarine’s firepower and offensive capabilities.

    Beyond combat power, for the fighters manning the vessel, the noticeable upgrade in size brought an equally important piece of good news. Unlike the familiar cramped conditions, Dragon has two showers installed—a real luxury in submarine terms—and more importantly, it has about 50 beds, a figure that almost eliminates the exhausting “hot bunking” system.

    INS Dragon | Photo: Channel 14

    However, it’s important to remember that Dragon, just like its sister submarines in the submarine flotilla, doesn’t serve only as a missile launch platform. In fact, it’s a covert intelligence collection station packed with the most advanced technological sensors, carrying out missions thousands of kilometers from Israel’s shores and slipping undetected into enemy rear areas beneath the waves and below radar. Moreover, according to those same foreign publications, inside the Navy’s submarines there’s a dedicated space reserved specifically for Shayetet 13 commandos, whom they covertly insert at distant targets across the Middle East.

    Yet the operational price is heavy: The covert missions the submarines undertake impose complete disconnection from the outside world for long weeks on the fighters. Despite this, even in the darkness of the depths, hundreds of meters below the water’s surface, the bleeding reality outside sometimes catches up with them—as happened when fighters discovered during an operational mission that a family member had died, and were forced to be pulled immediately back home for the funeral.

    INS Dragon | Photo: Channel 14

    The entire Navy is now in the midst of a far-reaching historic transformation. Following the recent war, which sharpened the critical importance of the maritime domain, and given the alarming strengthening of the Turkish fleet alongside Erdoğan’s imperial ambitions, a strategic decision was made at the political and security establishment levels: to transform the naval arm from a compact force with a defensive orientation into a powerful offensive arm, similar to the Air Force.

    In direct continuation of this, it was recently published that the security establishment recommended to the political echelon to expand Israel’s submarine fleet and bring it to eight vessels. In this charged context, it’s hard not to recall the storm of the “Submarine Affair,” in which a political attempt was made to pin serious corruption charges on Prime Minister Netanyahu solely because of his stubborn insistence on enlarging the fleet from five to six submarines.

    In conclusion, although the exact role of the submarine flotilla in the current war cannot yet be discussed in detail, the new public and security consensus around the enormous importance of these vessels speaks for itself. This is one of the State of Israel’s most important and sensitive strategic assets—a central asset that proves time and again it hasn’t yet said its last word.

  • Israeli Prosecutors to Give ‘Palestinian’ Illegals Two Passes

    Israeli Prosecutors to Give ‘Palestinian’ Illegals Two Passes

    A ‘Palestinian’ illegal entrant over the age of 50 who enters Israel without a permit and is apprehended by security forces will not necessarily face prosecution — even if it is not the first time he has been caught. A court ruling issued in recent days has revealed a 2025 directive from the State Attorney’s Office under which, in certain cases, an indictment will only be filed after a third apprehension.

    Arrest of illegal residents | Photo: Police spokeswoman

    The directive, first revealed on The Open Studio, applies to ‘Palestinian’ illegal entrants over the age of 50 as well as those who previously held permits to enter Israel. In practice, members of these groups will not be prosecuted the first two times they are caught inside Israel without a permit. After a an earlier Knesset-related report on the same prosecution policy, a police prosecutions official explained that after Oct. 7 the general policy shifted toward indicting illegal entrants from the first illegal entry, but an exception remained: prosecution only from the third entry for people over 50 and for those whose Israeli entry permits had been suspended. The surrounding discussion explicitly concerns ‘Palestinian’ workers/entrants whose permits were frozen after the war.

    Arrest of illegal residents | Photo: Police spokeswoman

    The directive was adopted amid a severe shortage of available prison space and difficulties faced by law-enforcement authorities in dealing with the large number of ‘Palestinian’ illegal entrants entering Israel. According to the court ruling, the policy is based in part on an earlier decision from approximately a year ago and has now returned to the spotlight because of its practical implications for law enforcement on the ground. In practice, male ‘Palestinian’ illegal entrants who fall within the categories established by the directive may be caught inside Israel without authorization twice without facing an indictment. Only upon a third apprehension will criminal proceedings be considered.

  • Israeli Soccer Stars Slam Irish Team Anti-Israel Provocations

    Israeli Soccer Stars Slam Irish Team Anti-Israel Provocations

    Ahead of Sunday evening’s UEFA Nations League match between Israel and Ireland, the hostile rhetoric and anti-Israel gestures adopted by the Irish team continues to generate fierce reactions across Israel. Slamming the Irish coach’s libels and plans to wear black armbands moments before the opening whistle, former national team captain Tal Ben Haim and Israeli reserve fighter Menashe Zalka published passionate statements on social media, called on the blue-and-white squad to bypass ceremonial handshakes with terror apologists and battle on the pitch for Israel’s fallen heroes, hostages, and national honor.

    Tal Ben Haim | Photo: Wikipedia

    Menashe Zalka directly addressed inflammatory comments made by the Irish coach ahead of the fixture: “‘We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide’—this is the sentence uttered by Ireland’s coach before the match against Israel. As an overt antisemite, he deliberately ignored the October 7 massacre and immediately adopted the Hamas narrative. Our national pride is not up for sale, especially not after laying to rest the finest of our friends, families, and soldiers who fell defending our people.” Zalka continued. “Therefore, I fully expect that there will be no handshakes with this manager, neither for the sake of ‘politeness’ nor under the guise of sportsmanship. The Irish announced they will wear black armbands tonight ‘in memory of the victims of the Gaza conflict’—a sanitized euphemism and codename for identifying with our Hamas enemy.”

    Photo: The Israel Football Association (IFA)

    “Tonight is not just another match; the opening whistle over national honor was blown long before players stepped onto the pitch,” Zalka emphasized. “Stand tall, with national pride and immense dignity, to show the ignorant on the other side that we do not bow down. We stand on the right side—the Jewish side fighting baby killers and rapists.” He concluded: “Today, more than ever, proud to be a Jew and a soldier of this country.” Former national team captain Tal Ben Haim also published a strongly worded rebuke: “As a proud Israeli and former captain of the national team, hearing the sheer ignorance displayed by the Irish leading up to tonight’s match is infuriating. The Football Association of Ireland has disgraced, cheapened, and corrupted this sacred institution. The Irish manager said his team is playing against genocide; I suggest he study demographics, educate himself, and ask what Gaza looked like before spreading lies.”

    Israel national team | Photo: Flash90

    “Self-righteous Irish players offered to donate their match fees to Gaza—funds that never reach needy civilians and go directly to the Hamas terror organization that murders its own people. Oh, and I forgot to thank the Irish squad for holding a vote and graciously deciding to show up against Israel after all. Thanks a lot; truly appreciated,” Ben Haim mocked. “Thanks also to the goalkeeper whose starting spot at Southampton was taken by Daniel Peretz. Clearly this is personal, and he should work on his self-confidence instead of posturing as a humanitarian at our expense. You claimed you won’t shake hands, that you’ll wear black armbands, and won’t exchange pennants. We have zero interest in shaking hands with those who lend a hand to terror and advance dark agendas rooted in sheer ignorance.”

    Photo: From the official X account of the Republic of Ireland national football team

     

    Ben Haim concluded with a passionate call to the Israeli squad: “Football is a universal language that brings people and cultures together. It is tragic to see how, through their own fault, they have turned the pitch into a political arena. A country whose own history is steeped in terror dares to lecture us—to lecture the most moral army in the world, which battles terror with values unmatched anywhere on earth. I am ashamed for the Irish team.”

    Ireland national team fans | Photo: Shutterstock, ErreRoberto

    “To our beloved players, I say: tonight you play first and foremost for our soldiers, our invincible heroes—those who fell and those who sacrificed the best years of their lives so we could live in Israel, and for all those whom the Hamas Nazis murdered, raped, and kidnapped. Tonight is not just another game; it is a match for our home, truth standing against darkness. Fight, win every tackle, win every battle, and run until you have no air left. Do not let us down. Am Yisrael Chai.”

  • Sa’ar: Irish Talent for Wrong Side of History Remains

    Sa’ar: Irish Talent for Wrong Side of History Remains

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar took to social media platform X on Sunday to address the upcoming soccer fixture between the national teams of Israel and Ireland, issuing a scathing post that directly linked Dublin’s contemporary hostility toward Israel to its historical stances before and during World War II.

    Image
    The Irish football team in 1939 doing a Nazi salute | Archive. Photo: social media

    Sa’ar referenced the soccer friendly held in Bremen in May 1939 between Ireland and Germany, during which Irish players gave the Nazi salute during the playing of the German national anthem. He further highlighted Ireland’s formal neutrality policy throughout World War II, as well as the notorious decision by then-Taoiseach Éamon de Valera to pay a formal condolence visit to the German representative in Dublin following the suicide of Adolf Hitler.

    “And today—another soccer match. This time against Israel’s national team. Once again, the famous Irish conscience emerges and takes to the pitch,” Sa’ar wrote.

    Ireland national team players | Photo: From the official X account of the Ireland national team

    He continued: “Nearly 90 years have passed. The unique Irish talent for standing on the wrong side of history remains fully intact.”

    Sa’ar also sharply condemned the black armbands that Irish players intend to wear during the match: “Back then they gave the Nazi salute. This time they are clearly on the side of Palestinian terror. Above the black armbands the Irish players will wear tonight flies the black flag of jihadism.”

    Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar | Photo: Olivier Fitoussi, Flash90

    Sa’ar concluded his remarks by wishing the Israeli national team success in tonight’s match.

  • Hamas Vows to Run in Elections, Defying Board of Peace Plan

    Hamas Vows to Run in Elections, Defying Board of Peace Plan

    Hamas’ chief terrorist Khalil al-Hayya said the organization intends to contest November’s ‘Palestinian’ legislative elections as part of a political coalition, while simultaneously vowing to continue its “resistance” against Israel — raising fresh questions over Hamas’s stated commitment to the U.S.-backed roadmap for Gaza.

    Hamas Chief Terrorist Khalil al-Hayya | Photo: Wikimedia

    In an interview with the Qatar-based Al-Araby TV broadcast over the weekend, al-Hayya said Hamas had already agreed to participate in the elections and had met with other ‘Palestinian’ factions to form an alliance that is now preparing to contest the vote. The ‘Palestinian’ Authority has scheduled legislative elections for November 28, the first such vote in two decades. Hamas won the last legislative elections in 2006 before violently seizing control of the Gaza Strip from forces loyal to the ‘Palestinian’ Authority the following year.

    Hamas Terrorists | Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

    Pretending to be politicians all of a sudden, Al-Hayya said Hamas views the upcoming elections as a means of “politically” unifying Gaza, Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. “We are ready to sit down with President Abbas to lay the foundations for a national program and achieve genuine unity,” al-Hayya said, referring to ‘Palestinian’ Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. But the Hamas leader also made clear that the terrorist organization has no intention of abandoning what it calls “resistance,” saying it would continue [murderously] confronting Israel using the means available to it.

    Yahya al-Sinwar, Khalil al-Hayya and Ismail Haniyeh | Photo: Wikimedia\Fars

    The declaration appears to stand in tension with the framework being advanced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace for the future of Gaza. The Board of Peace’s July 30 roadmap states that Hamas and other ‘Palestinian’ factions are to accept a framework requiring “full demilitarization, de-radicalization, and the transfer of all civilian and security authorities in Gaza” to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

    The roadmap is built around the principle of “One Authority, One Weapon, One Law” and envisions Gaza being governed without Hamas control. As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces are to withdraw in phases while an International Stabilization Force works alongside a new ‘Palestinian’ police force.

    Board of Peace, archive | Photo: Reuters

    Trump described the July agreement as a step toward Gaza being governed by a new ‘Palestinian’ government working closely with the Board of Peace, while ensuring that the territory could no longer be used as a base for terrorist attacks against Israel. Al-Hayya’s latest comments, however, indicate that Hamas is simultaneously seeking a role in the future ‘Palestinian’ political system while publicly maintaining its commitment to “resistance.”

    The Hamas chief also defended the October 7, 2023 massacre, portraying the terrorist assault as a response to Israeli policies rather than repudiating the attack. Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel on October 7, murdering approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages into Gaza. The massacre triggered the Gaza war and ultimately led to the international negotiations that produced the current ceasefire and political roadmap.

    Oct 7 Attack | Photo: Abdel Rahim Khatib, Flash90

    Al-Hayya nevertheless insisted that Hamas remains prepared to implement the Gaza roadmap and called on mediators to pressure Israel to fulfill its own obligations under the agreement. He also revealed that Hamas officials have met with American representatives more than four times, saying discussions centered on Gaza, the broader ‘Palestinian’ issue and Hamas’s demands. Al-Hayya claimed Hamas had encountered “understanding” from U.S. officials during those meetings but said the organization wanted Washington to translate that into action.

    Khalil Al-Hayya in Tehran | Photo: Wikimedia

    The Hamas leader additionally sought closer ties with Abbas, saying elections could provide a route toward rebuilding ‘Palestinian’ political institutions and eventually the Palestine Liberation Organization. If November’s elections are postponed, al-Hayya said Hamas’s existing political alliance would remain intact and would be opened to additional factions in an effort to create a broader unified front.

    His remarks therefore put two competing visions of Hamas’s future into sharp focus: the Board of Peace roadmap calls for the terrorist organization to disarm and surrender its civilian and security authority in Gaza, while Hamas itself is openly preparing to contest elections, build ‘political’ alliances and preserve what it calls its “resistance.”

    The November vote, if it proceeds, could consequently become an early test of whether Hamas intends to withdraw from ‘Palestinian’ governance as envisioned by the postwar framework — or attempt to continue waging Jihad through the ballot box.