Hamas fighters on Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: Majdi Fathi via Reuters Connect

For months, Hamas resisted one of the central demands of the US-backed plan for Gaza: that it disarm. President Trump’s broader Gaza plan called for Hamas to disarm and have no governing role in Gaza, while the newer 15-point roadmap likewise provides for phased disarmament. Hamas nevertheless insisted that surrendering its weapons was a red line.

So, what changed that Hamas suddenly announced its readiness to do a phased disarmament?

According to former Palestinian Authority (PA) minister and senior Fatah leader Sufian Abu Zaida, Hamas did not actually reverse course. He claims it received a far-reaching political concession from the United States.

Abu Zaida alleged that Muhammad Dahlan, head of Fatah’s Democratic Reform Movement, intervened directly with Jared Kushner and obtained assurances that Hamas would be permitted to participate in the upcoming Palestinian Authority legislative elections, currently scheduled for Nov. 28, 2026.

Hamas would have to keep its most recognizable senior leaders off the ballot but could still participate under a different name with a slate of lesser-known figures.

If true, the implications are extraordinary. Hamas would be asked to give up its weapons in Gaza, but not its political ambitions. The concession Abu Zaida describes could provide Hamas with a route for rule and control of the entire Palestinian Authority through democratic and internationally recognized elections.

Senior Fatah leader Sufian Abu Zaida: “I’ll tell you a secret. Someone might ask why Hamas hadn’t agreed recently — over the last few months, the last few years — why it hadn’t agreed to disarm or hand over its weapons or put away its weapons, etc … For Hamas, it was a red line that couldn’t be crossed …

Now, the question is why did Hamas agree to this matter [now] after this long period of time? It agreed because there are guarantees. After brother Muhammad Dahlan, head of the Democratic Reform Movement, intervened directly with Jared Kushner, there were questions to which Hamas received [positive] answers…

Will the US oppose the Hamas movement’s participation in the Palestinian political system?… Elections are supposed to be held on Nov. 27 or 28 this year, meaning in three-and-a-half months. Is Hamas allowed to participate in these elections? The answer is yes. It is allowed to participate in these elections. Maybe it won’t participate with flashy and well-known names — leaders from the first and second tier, but it will have a list and support it. In my opinion, there won’t be opposition to this, meaning: Will Hamas become a political movement? The answer is yes.”

[Sky News Arabia, Instagram page, Aug. 11, 2026]

Hamas defeated Fatah in the last Palestinian legislative election in 2006, both in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. Hamas then seized all power in Gaza the following year. No legislative election has been held since.

Abu Zaida’s claim has not been publicly confirmed by the US, but if accurate, it is very troubling.

Washington is not demanding Hamas’s disarmament as a first step to its political demise, but is instead offering the terror organization the chance to temporarily disarm in exchange for a pathway back into Palestinian politics and potential rule.

The author is the Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.