Palestinian National Dialogue: Egypt Sets Conditions for Hosting

Egypt has set conditions for hosting the Palestinian National Dialogue, scheduled for October 14, 2026, in Cairo. The conditions include the involvement of Mohammed Dahlan's faction and a prior commitment to implementing the dialogue's outcomes. A senior official from Mahmoud Abbas' circle stated that the first condition is to include a representative from Dahlan's faction in the official Fatah delegation or allow the faction to participate as an independent party. However, Fatah leadership has not yet responded to this condition. The second condition involves a prior agreement to implement the dialogue's outcomes, which appears more feasible for Abbas compared to resolving the deep-seated conflict with Dahlan and his faction.

Egypt has requested a written response from Abbas regarding these conditions before proceeding with the dialogue. The dialogue is expected to focus on key issues, including ending the division, holding elections, developing a unified strategy to confront the occupation, and rebuilding the dialogue organization. Egypt aims to ensure the Palestinian Authority is bound by the dialogue's results. A member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, Dalal Eqeirat, suggested that addressing the issue of dissidents before the movement's eighth conference would enhance its internal cohesion, urging continued efforts to resolve this matter. She also highlighted the late prisoner Marwan Barghouti's initiative to unify Fatah's ranks and the supportive stances of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other regional countries towards Palestinian unity and ending the division.

A Palestinian source revealed that Egypt has asked Jabril Rajoub to send a written response from Abbas regarding the conditions set for hosting the dialogue. A senior official in the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Abbas understands that Arab countries do not want the Palestinian decision-making center to be confined to Ramallah, which could lead to its monopolization. Instead, they prefer a political weight distribution across multiple regions. Sources close to Abbas' circle indicated that the idea of forming a unified electoral list, including Dahlan's faction, Hamas, and other factions, originated from an Egyptian proposal aimed at achieving Palestinian unity.