Palestinians are voting in local elections on Saturday, including the first poll of any kind to be held in Gaza since 2006. Elections are taking place across the occupied West Bank, as well as in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza where Hamas operates. However, Hamas was not allowed to stand in the election, and several factions have boycotted it over a requirement that candidates commit to recognizing the authority of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA) governing in parts of the occupied West Bank not under Israeli control.
Fatah, the faction led by President Mahmoud Abbas and which dominates the PLO, was violently ousted from Gaza by Hamas in the aftermath of the last elections there. While Hamas was not on the ballot in Deir al-Balah, a slate of candidates was widely seen as being aligned with it. The central city was chosen as the sole Gaza area where elections would take place as it was not as badly damaged as other places during the Israel-Hamas war. A fragile ceasefire is in place as President Trump's 20-point peace plan halted the fighting last October.
Hamas continues to operate in parts of Gaza where Israeli forces have withdrawn, and its police force was involved in security operations around polling stations. More than a million voters across the Palestinian territories are eligible to take part, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission, including 70,000 in Deir al-Balah, where 12 polling stations were scheduled to operate. Voting began at 07:00 local time and polls closed at 19:00 local time, with results expected shortly after.
Fatah is the only major faction on the ballot across the Palestinian territories, and is set to win in several districts due to the absence of opposition candidates. Yet the elections are complex; while polls are open for 90 municipal councils and 93 village councils, elections will not be held in 42 municipal councils and 155 villages due to lack of candidates. The field narrowed as several groups objected to election laws, which mandated that candidates recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people.
The Fatah-dominated PLO governs parts of the West Bank and claims to be the legitimate government in Gaza, though it has no effective control there. Notably, Hamas and other factions oppose the PLO, particularly regarding its recognition of Israel. This marks a significant political moment, especially considering the past tension; local elections in the West Bank have not occurred since 2022, and the last electoral activity in Gaza was two decades ago. The elections are seen by some, including UN officials, as an opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their rights during difficult times, as expressed by voters favoring the rebuilding of Gaza and a resolution to ongoing conflicts.
Fatah, the faction led by President Mahmoud Abbas and which dominates the PLO, was violently ousted from Gaza by Hamas in the aftermath of the last elections there. While Hamas was not on the ballot in Deir al-Balah, a slate of candidates was widely seen as being aligned with it. The central city was chosen as the sole Gaza area where elections would take place as it was not as badly damaged as other places during the Israel-Hamas war. A fragile ceasefire is in place as President Trump's 20-point peace plan halted the fighting last October.
Hamas continues to operate in parts of Gaza where Israeli forces have withdrawn, and its police force was involved in security operations around polling stations. More than a million voters across the Palestinian territories are eligible to take part, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission, including 70,000 in Deir al-Balah, where 12 polling stations were scheduled to operate. Voting began at 07:00 local time and polls closed at 19:00 local time, with results expected shortly after.
Fatah is the only major faction on the ballot across the Palestinian territories, and is set to win in several districts due to the absence of opposition candidates. Yet the elections are complex; while polls are open for 90 municipal councils and 93 village councils, elections will not be held in 42 municipal councils and 155 villages due to lack of candidates. The field narrowed as several groups objected to election laws, which mandated that candidates recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people.
The Fatah-dominated PLO governs parts of the West Bank and claims to be the legitimate government in Gaza, though it has no effective control there. Notably, Hamas and other factions oppose the PLO, particularly regarding its recognition of Israel. This marks a significant political moment, especially considering the past tension; local elections in the West Bank have not occurred since 2022, and the last electoral activity in Gaza was two decades ago. The elections are seen by some, including UN officials, as an opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their rights during difficult times, as expressed by voters favoring the rebuilding of Gaza and a resolution to ongoing conflicts.
