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Hamas influence looms over Gaza elections as experts warn vote could backfire
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On Saturday, Gazans in Deir al-Balah will go to the polls to elect new local leaders for the first time in 22 years — a move experts warn could allow Hamas room to maintain influence as it refuses to comply with ceasefire disarmament terms.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer told Fox News Digital that «when you hold elections in the Palestinian Authority and the timing’s not right and the circumstances are still dicey, you get Hamas victories.»
Schanzer said the Bush administration’s 2006 decision to advocate for elections, which «led to Hamas winning, and it led to a standoff which led to a civil war,» adding that «you’ve got to be really careful when it comes to holding elections with a territory like Gaza in particular, where Hamas has so much control, and where terrorist organizations are still considered to be legitimate players.»
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Election campaign banners showing candidates for the upcoming municipal elections hang on a building in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 21, 2026. On April 25, voters will choose representatives in cities, towns and villages across the West Bank, with the ballot happening in part of the Gaza Strip in the first such election since the start of the war there in Oct. 2023. (Eyad Baba / AFP via Getty Images)
Four parties are contesting the election in Deir al-Balah. To be eligible, candidates were asked to accept the Palestine Liberation Organization and the terms of agreements it has previously made, including recognition of the State of Israel and endorsement of a two-state solution, according to reporting by the Center for Peace Communications.
However, many are concerned that one party, Deir al-Balah Unites Us, is affiliated with Hamas. Two of its candidates have been pictured with Hamas officials or police officers.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, posted on X that «holding elections in Gaza at this time is extremely reckless and irresponsible,» noting that «Gazans are being arrested, jailed, tortured, shot, and killed daily for social media posts and anything they say that’s perceived as being critical of Hamas. These elections should be halted and prevented from proceeding, for they are meddling with the transition process that the Board of Peace, [National Council for the Administration of Gaza], and the international community have planned for Gaza, with Hamas’s disarmament and relinquishment of power being the first necessary step.»
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Disarmament of Hamas, a key demand within the second phase of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire agreement, has yet to be completed. Reports indicate that Hamas has increased its hold in Gaza as of March, continuing to tax locals, building education systems, and placing police throughout the territory they hold.
Hamas terrorists stand guard in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Feb. 22, 2025, during the handover of hostages as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal with Israel. (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)
Schanzer says that Hamas is unlikely to hand over its arms. If they were to do so, he said that they «will try to make distinctions between weapons,» possibly offering to give up heavy weapons like RPGs while maintaining a large arsenal of automatic weapons.
Hamas appears to have made a partial disarmament offer. The New York Times reported on April 19 that two Hamas officials said they would hand over thousands of weapons from their police force and other security institutions. The officials «did not provide a clear answer» when asked if weapons from Hamas’ so-called military wing would be included.
HAMAS FACES ‘LEGITIMACY CRISIS’ AS DESPERATE GAZANS FLOCK TO US-BACKED AID CENTERS
President Donald Trump holds up a signed agreement during a world leaders summit focused on ending the Gaza war in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 13. (Suzanne Plunkett/Getty Images)
Schanzer pushed back on claims that Hamas’ political and military wings operate separately. «That is a fiction. The idea that they are separate in any way or that there is a firewall between them is asinine.» He said that this is «a distinction that has been made up by the West in order to be able to have political relations with Hamas, or to justify elections. It’s a mistake to buy into that fiction.»
Schanzer said weakening Iran could be key to minimizing Hamas’ influence. «The psychological impact of their top patron being defeated on the battlefield, I can’t overstate how important that event could be,» he said. «It would be a gut punch to Hamas.»
An election campaign starts in the city of Deir al-Balah, Gaza on April 12, 2026, as part of the local elections scheduled for April 25. While posters and works regarding the election process continue in the city, citizens follow the developments closely. (Mohammed Eslayeh/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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With Israel controlling about 53% of the Gaza Strip and Hamas the remaining 47%, Schanzer said «we could continue to see the erosion of Hamas control» amid the «slow and steady process of Israel winning on the ground.» He said patience, though, is necessary, adding that «the enemies of the United States and Israel and the West have a very different timeline. They want to wait out everybody because they know that we’d like to move on.»
The Trump administration did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether a partial disarmament would satisfy its ceasefire terms, or if it would take action to stall elections until there’s more stability in Gaza
hamas, war with iran, israel, terrorism
INTERNACIONAL
US targets Chinese refinery in sweeping Iran oil crackdown, sanctions ‘shadow fleet’ tankers
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The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday sanctioned a major Chinese oil refinery and dozens of ships tied to Iran’s «shadow fleet,» escalating efforts to choke off Tehran’s main source of revenue.
Officials said in a press release the move targets Hengli Petrochemical, one of Iran’s largest oil buyers, along with a network of shipping companies and tankers responsible for transporting billions of dollars worth of petroleum products to foreign markets.
The Treasury Department identified these «shadow fleet» vessels as the financial lifeline for Iran’s «unstable regime.»
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The crackdown is part of Economic Fury, a broader campaign to squeeze Iran’s economy by limiting its ability to sell oil abroad, revenue the U.S. says funds the regime’s military and destabilizing activities across the Middle East.
«Economic Fury is imposing a financial stranglehold on the Iranian regime, hampering its aggression in the Middle East and helping to curtail its nuclear ambitions,» Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
An oil tanker near the terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, as U.S. officials and analysts consider whether seizing the island could significantly impact Iran’s oil exports. (Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co. is a China-based «teapot» refinery, a term used for independent facilities known for purchasing discounted crude, including from sanctioned countries.
The refinery, one of China’s largest independent facilities, has received Iranian oil cargoes from sanctioned shadow fleet vessels since at least 2023. Hengli has also purchased oil tied to Iran’s armed forces, generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the Iranian military.
Hengli has also received shipments tied to Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, a firm identified by U.S. officials as a front for Iran’s armed forces that helps facilitate oil sales abroad.
The company operates on behalf of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, using a network of intermediaries and vessels to move sanctioned crude, with proceeds helping fund the country’s military programs and regional proxy groups.
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The Iranian-flagged Touska cargo ship after U.S. forces launched missiles at its control room after its violation of the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz April 20, 2026. (U.S. Central Command )
The new sanctions also target the network that makes these oil sales possible, a «shadow fleet» of aging tankers and shell companies that move petroleum across global markets while evading sanctions and obscuring the origin of shipments.
These ships avoid detection by transferring cargo from one tanker to another in the open ocean. Treasury officials said 19 vessels were targeted in the action.
A U.S. military helicopter hovers over the sanctioned stateless crude oil tanker M/T Tifani during an interdiction April 21, 2026. (Department of War)
The move is part of the Trump administration’s renewed «maximum pressure» campaign against Iran, aimed at cutting off the regime’s primary source of revenue through oil exports and sanctions enforcement.
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U.S. officials say oil exports remain the backbone of Iran’s economy, and efforts to restrict those flows are designed to limit the government’s ability to fund its military, support proxy groups and advance its nuclear program.
Treasury officials warned that additional sanctions are likely as the U.S. continues targeting the networks, intermediaries and buyers that enable Iran to move oil on the global market.
iran, sanctions, economy, armed forces, nuclear proliferation, energy
INTERNACIONAL
Transgender lawmaker ‘doesn’t know what a woman is,’ White House says after dig at Trump firings
Newsom’s wife slams Trump firings of Bondi, Noem, sparking panel debate
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, makes controversial claims about President Trump’s administration, accusing him of a ‘war on all women’ after the firings of Pam Bondi and Krisit Noem. A Fox News panel vigorously debates Newsom’s perspective, with contributors highlighting Trump’s historic appointment of women to high-level positions and questioning the motivation behind her public statement.
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The White House brushed aside remarks made by Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., to a reporter alleging that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard would be the next Cabinet official to leave the administration because President Donald Trump «only fires women.»
«Rep. McBride doesn’t know what a woman is,» White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said of McBride, a biological male who identifies as a woman.
McBride speculated to MeidasTouch reporter Pablo Manríquez that Tulsi Gabbard will be the next Cabinet member on President Donald Trump’s chopping block. In separate interviews, Manríquez asked McBride and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who they believed would be next to be fired. Both said it would not be a man.
The remarks come amid a shake-up in the Trump administration, as Trump announced the dismissal of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi within a span of four weeks. On Monday, Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid allegations of misconduct towards staffers.
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Reps. Alexandria Osacio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sarah McBride, D-Del. accused President Donald Trump of only firing women. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/ Ida Marie Odgaard / Ritzau Scanpix)
«All of them deserve to be fired,» McBride quipped. «I’m supporting impeachment of Pete Hegseth, because obviously right now, we are engaged in a reckless war of choice that he was a primary driver of.»
«But we know this president,» McBride said. «He only fires women, so my guess is Tulsi Gabbard.»
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., echoed McBride’s sentiment when asked the same question by Manríquez.
«Is he out of women?» Ocasio-Cortez asked. «Because that seems to be his pattern right now.»
TRUMP CABINET NOMINEES, APPOINTEES TARGETED WITH ‘VIOLENT, UNAMERICAN THREATS’
Then-U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem delivers remarks during a working lunch at the «Shield of the Americas» Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Fla., on March 7, 2026. (Rebecca Blackwell / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
She went on to say that Trump «seems to only have the capability to fire female secretaries.»
In response to a follow-up question about the «clownish behavior» of War Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that what Patel has done is «a thousand times worse» than what other officials have done.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference at the DEA headquarters in Arlington, Va., on July 15, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Neither Manríquez nor Ocasio-Cortez gave specific examples of misconduct by either man. Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over reported allegations that he is a heavy drinker and that it affects his work. Meanwhile, Hegseth faced sexual assault and drinking allegations during his confirmation hearings, which he denied, and his tenure at the War Department was rocked by two separate Signal chat leaks in which information about military airstrikes were inadvertently shared with a journalist.
While the White House has stood by Hegseth, Democratic lawmakers have demanded his resignation and criticized his handling of the war with Iran.
«If you’re a man in the Trump administration, it seems that they reward misconduct,» Ocasio-Cortez said.
white house, pete hegseth, pam bondi, fbi, kristi noem, tulsi gabbard
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