Exclusive: Dahlan reshuffles his movement in preparation for legislative elections
Sources tell i24NEWS: Leadership, organizational, and media changes are underway within Mohammed Dahlan’s movement in Gaza, alongside preparations for an electoral list and the possibility of running
The Fatah - Democratic Reform Bloc, led by Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah member who broke away from the movement, is reorganizing its ranks in the Gaza Strip and seeking to restore a larger role there in preparation for the Palestinian legislative elections scheduled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for next November.
Sources told i24NEWS that in recent days Dahlan’s movement has changed its leadership, reassigned senior positions, removed some figures from their posts, and appointed others in preparation for competing in the upcoming elections.
According to the sources, Samir Mashharawi, who resides almost permanently in Egypt, will take full charge of the organization and oversee all of its operations. At the same time, Mohammed Dahlan will remain the movement’s leader but will not handle all of the portfolios overseen by Mashharawi. Dahlan will appear primarily in political positions, while Mashharawi will take responsibility for organizational, financial, administrative, and other matters.
i24NEWS also learned that Osama Al-Farra, one of Dahlan’s closest associates, has been appointed head of the movement’s election committee, with the task of preparing internally for an electoral list. The movement may participate on its own or reach an agreement with other factions to contest the upcoming legislative elections.
Al-Farra also reportedly took part directly in the latest Cairo negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza, including meetings with U.S. officials from Jared Kushner’s team.
Ayman Shahin was appointed as the person fully responsible for the media apparatus within the Dahlan Faction, including Al-Ghad, Al-Kofiya, and other media outlets affiliated with the mov/ement. Meanwhile, other individuals were appointed to lead grassroots activities and organize meetings aimed at restructuring the movement internally and maintaining contact with residents.
The sources indicated that new figures have been appointed for relief work, such as the leadership of the Al-Faris Al-Sham (Noble Knight) Foundation, which is backed by the UAE with millions of dollars, in an effort to increase aid to residents and attract them to Dahlan’s movement and win their support. The sources noted that the organization employs large numbers of Palestinians and provides extensive services on a scale they described as unprecedented among other organizations.
It was revealed that the foundation allocates food aid to Hamas members, in coordination with the movement. This, the source said, was one of the reasons for the direct rapprochement between Dahlan’s movement and Hamas leadership.
Over the past few weeks, Dahlan has played an important role in reaching a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Board of Peace. He was reportedly instrumental in persuading Hamas’s leadership to approve the roadmap and sought to convince the movement to transition into a political party in line with the current phase.