Former Fatah official positions himself as a pro-Western alternative to Abbas regime after war in Gaza

Former senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan has been increasingly positioning himself as a pro-Western alternative leader to the current Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas when Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza is over.

Abbas, who runs the Fatah faction in the Palestinian Authority (PA) previously ousted Dahlan after he refused to follow Ramallah’s political line. Dahlan stands out with his Western lifestyle and embrace of the West's outlook on the Middle East.

Unlike the current Abbas-led PA leadership, which embraces fierce anti-Israel rhetoric of “resistance,” Dahlan has refused to praise the Hamas massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of some 240 hostages on Oct. 7. This has made Dahlan even less popular among Abbas loyalists and has simultaneously strengthened the politician's chances of presenting himself as a credible political alternative to Abbas to run Gaza, and one with whom Israel could negotiate a political solution to the ongoing Middle East conflict with Washington.

While most PA senior officials belong to the political elite in the West Bank, Dahlan was born in the Gazan city of Khan Younis, which is currently the focal point of the fighting between Israeli forces and the terror organization Hamas. Because of his background, Dahlan enjoys some measure of popularity in his native Gaza, something that neither Abbas nor any other current senior Fatah leaders have.

In December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that neither Hamas nor Fatah would rule the Gaza Strip after the war.

"Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan," Netanyahu stated.

"After the great sacrifice of our civilians and our soldiers, I will not allow the entry into Gaza of those who educate for terrorism, support terrorism and finance terrorism," Netanyahu emphasized, referring to the current PA leadership.

At the same time, polls indicate that most Israelis are not interested in returning to Gaza after the war and prefer Gaza to remain politically separated from Israel.

The U.S. Biden administration has indicated it would like the Palestinian Authority to eventually assume responsibility for the Gaza Strip in a post-Hamas era.

However, Washington officials have admitted that the PA needs to undergo significant reforms to address Israel's ongoing security challenges.

Dahlan could potentially emerge as the Palestinian leader to solve the political 'Gordian Knot' and would potentially be acceptable to both moderate Arab states, Israel, the U.S. and much of the international community.

Some believe that Dahlan would be a positive influence and would focus on improving the economy in the West Bank and Gaza through peaceful cooperation with the Jewish state and well as facilitate a political integration between the Gaza and the West Bank.