Non-PLO Groups

The 1980s witnessed the formation of organizations like Hamas and Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which drew significant inspiration from political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood. These Islamist groups initially voiced criticism against the secular and leftist PLO, particularly for its compromises with Israel. They took issue with the PLO's abandonment of armed struggle and its acceptance of a two-state solution based on just 22 percent of "historic Palestine."

While their initial aim was to supplant the PLO as the dominant force in the Palestinian liberation movement, more recently, Hamas and PIJ have signalled their desire to join the PLO, attempting to influence it from within. In the past decade, Hamas has adopted a more pragmatic approach, participating in the Palestinian political process for the first time since the 2006 legislative election and indicating potential acceptance of a Palestinian state based on the pre-June 1967 borders.

Recent years have also witnessed the emergence of new secular parties, like the Palestinian National Initiative (al-Mubadara), seeking to offer Palestinian voters an alternative to Fatah and Hamas. However, these political initiatives have thus far struggled to garner broad-based popular support or challenge Fatah and Hamas' dominance in Palestinian politics. Although not formal members of the PLO, these parties and their representatives engage in PLO politics at all levels, including the Palestinian National Council, Palestinian Central Council, and the Executive Committee.

In addition to these developments, the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Palestinian refugee camps have seen the rise of Salafi groups. Some, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir (predominant in the West Bank), continue to reject violence and, to some extent, political participation. Others, like Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon's Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp or Jaysh al-Islam in Gaza, have adopted a more militant ideology.