INTERNACIONAL
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.»
EXPERTS URGE TRUMP TO BAN TERROR-LINKED UN AGENCY FROM HIS GAZA PEACE PLAN
Gazan journalists and media personnel continue to be posthumously identified as members of terrorist groups, highlighting the difficulty of distinguishing terror affiliates from civilians.
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.»
TRUMP SAYS ‘REAL CHANCE FOR GREATNESS’ AS NETANYAHU WHITE HOUSE MEETING LOOMS FOR GAZA TALKS
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
El populista Nigel Farage da un golpe de timón en el Reino Unido acorralado por acusaciones de corrupción

Millones no declarados
Su discurso
Reacciones
El laborismo
La investigación sigue si es diputado
«Engañar a los votantes»
INTERNACIONAL
Video shows bomb rock Damascus hotel where French President Macron is staying during Syrian state visit

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A pair of explosions rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus near the downtown Four Seasons hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a state visit, Syrian state media reported Tuesday.
Eighteen people, including four police officers, were injured by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on Tuesday, Syria’s interior ministry reported through state outlet SANA.
According to the ministry, both bombs exploded after security forces had discovered them, «while preparations for the disposal operation were underway.»
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The bombs were placed inside a car and a garbage can near the hotel where Macron was staying during his visit, the first Syrian state visit by the leader of a Western country since Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took over for the now-deposed former President Bashar al-Assad in 2025.
A spokesman for Élysée Palace said Macron was not in his hotel during the explosions and didn’t even hear them. He continued his visit with al-Sharaa, according to both Élysée Palace and SANA.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa at the People’s Palace in Damascus, July 7, 2026. (Reuters/Mahmoud Hassano)
While not commenting on the explosions directly, Macron posted a statement on X shortly after the incident.
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«Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination. My visit continues,» he wrote.

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa greets supporters after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., NOV. 10, 2025. (Lubna Allababidi/Handout via Reuters)
Syria’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed the explosions but stressed that they were outside the security perimeter designated for Macron.
«We confirm that the explosion site is outside the security perimeter designated for the French president’s residence. It posed no direct threat to the residence or the official visit program, which is proceeding as planned,» the ministry announced through SANA.
‘PARCEL BOMB’ EXPLODES IN MONACO RESIDENTIAL AREA, LEAVING 2 CRITICALLY INJURED: REPORTS

An ambulance drives past the site where explosive devices blew up near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying, in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026. (Reuters/Yamam Al Shaar)
Macron is the first Western leader to meet with al-Sharaa in Damascus since he became the country’s president in 2025. Some have criticized Western leaders, including President Donald Trump, who hosted al-Sharaa in the White House in November, for normalizing relations with al-Sharaa given his past as a fighter for the al Qaeda terrorist group.
Tuesday’s explosions in Damascus were also the second and third major blasts in Damascus in less than a week.
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On Monday, France’s government condemned what it called a «terrorist attack» after an explosive device killed at least nine people in a Damascus cafe on July 2.
Syrian authorities are still investigating the attack and have not publicly ascribed it to any group or individual, according to The Washington Post.
Fox News Digital contacted the Syrian Foreign Ministry and Élysée Palace for confirmation and further details.
emmanuel macron, syria, world, bombings, terrorism
INTERNACIONAL
Francia: condenaron a la ultraderechista Marine Le Pen a 15 meses de inhabilitación para ejercer cargos públicos, pero podrá ser candidata

La líder de la extrema derecha francesa, Marine Le Pen, fue condenada a 15 meses de inhabilitación para ejercer cargos públicos, una sentencia por malversación de fondos europeos que, aun así, le permite ser candidata en las elecciones presidenciales de 2027.
Sin embargo, su candidatura quedó en el aire, ya que el tribunal también la condenó a tres años de prisión, uno de ellos bajo vigilancia mediante una tobillera electrónica, una situación que ella había considerado recientemente incompatible con una candidatura.
“Cuando uno es candidato a la presidencia, debe tener total libertad de movimientos, y ese no es el caso si lleva una tobillera electrónica”, había declarado el miércoles al canal LCI.
Se espera que oficialice su decisión durante el noticiero de las 20 (15 en la Argentina) del canal TF1.
Un fallo con un fuerte impacto político
La decisión de la Corte de Apelaciones de París era esperada por toda la clase política francesa, ya que tendrá un impacto decisivo en la elección del próximo jefe de Estado que sucederá a Emmanuel Macron en la primavera de 2027.
Marine Le Pen, de 57 años, ya logró llegar en dos ocasiones a la segunda vuelta de las tres últimas elecciones presidenciales (2017 y 2022).
Los resultados de su partido, Agrupación Nacional (Rassemblement National, ex Front National), crecieron durante años y la extrema derecha encabeza actualmente las encuestas. Marine Le Pen junto a su delfín, Jordan Bardella, de 30 años. (Foto: REUTERS/Tom Nicholson).
Si finalmente Marine Le Pen no se presenta como candidata, su heredero político, Jordan Bardella, de 30 años y actual presidente del partido, será el candidato.
Una condena rebajada
El 31 de marzo de 2025, Marine Le Pen fue declarada culpable de haber instaurado, entre 2004 y 2016, un “sistema” para pagar con fondos del Parlamento Europeo a empleados del Frente Nacional (el antiguo nombre del partido), que en ese momento atravesaba dificultades financieras
Fue condenada a cuatro años de prisión, dos de ellos de cumplimiento efectivo, una multa de 100.000 euros y, sobre todo, a cinco años de inhabilitación con aplicación inmediata, lo que frenó su impulso hacia la elección presidencial. Le Pen denunció entonces una decisión “política” de los jueces y calificó el proceso como una “caza de brujas”.
Por eso, la decisión de la Corte de Apelaciones de París se anunciaba crucial a diez meses de la presidencial. El Tribunal señaló al inicio de la lectura del fallo que, aunque los hechos imputados son “graves”, las penas de inhabilitación fueron ponderadas teniendo en cuenta “la libertad de las candidaturas” y “la libre elección de los votantes”, considerada una “condición de la expresión democrática”.
Si los jueces de apelación le hubieran impuesto más de dos años de inhabilitación, le habría sido imposible presentarse a las elecciones. Marine le Pen fue condenada por malversación de fondos pero podrá sercandidata a las presidenciales de 2027, donde es favorita en las encuestas. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).
“Hemos previsto todos los escenarios”, aseguró el lunes Bardella desde el Parlamento Europeo en Estrasburgo, afirmando sentirse “sereno y preparado para asumir las consecuencias” de la decisión judicial.
Tras sus derrotas frente a Emmanuel Macron en la segunda vuelta de las elecciones presidenciales de 2017 y 2022 (y su eliminación en la primera vuelta en 2012), la hija de Jean-Marie Le Pen —figura histórica de la extrema derecha francesa— llega fortalecida a los comicios del próximo año, culminando un largo proceso de “desdemonización” de la imagen del partido.
Las encuestas la sitúan al frente de la primera vuelta, prevista para el 18 de abril. A finales de mayo, incluso un instituto de opinión la proyectaba como ganadora de la segunda vuelta, prevista para el 2 de mayo, independientemente de quién fuera su rival.
Sea cual sea la decisión final, “nunca nos desanimaremos, seguiremos luchando, iremos hasta el final, hasta la victoria”, declaró el sábado, junto a Jordan Bardella, en su bastión electoral del norte de Francia.
Marine Le Pen, Francia
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