Commenting on the Central Elections Committee's response to Hamas' letter published on Sunday evening, we stated the following: 

1-    Hanna Nasser, head of the Central Elections Committee, contacted us to ask about the movement's position on holding the second round of local elections. 

2-    Responding to Hanna's request, we sent a written letter in which we outlined our stance on these partitioned elections. We made it clear that comprehensive elections should be held simultaneously or consecutively; local elections should be part of this process and not an alternative to it. 
We also affirmed that the Palestinian Authority's (PA) president should offer Hamas written guarantees not to cancel the elections at the last moment, just as he previously did several times. The PA president should backtrack on the amendments that he made to the Local Elections Law, especially in regards to the legal basis for these elections. 
3-    Hamas is ready and would have no hesitation to take part in the elections at all levels on a clear political and legal basis and as part of a comprehensive national consensus.

Husam Badran 
Member of Hamas Political Bureau 
Sunday, 2 January 2022