Palestinians in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah elect local leaders in first election in two decades
Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gazan community of Deir al-Balah this weekend headed to the ballots to elect their local leaders. For the Gazans who participated, it was their first local vote in more than two decades. Palestinian authorities hailed the vote a success and said it paves the way for more elections being held in war-torn enclave in the near future.
Issued on: 27/04/2026 - 16:56Modified: 27/04/2026 - 16:57
3 min Reading time Share By: FRANCE 24
Palestinian authorities said Sunday that local elections in a single Gaza community and the Israeli-occupied West Bank were a success and called them a step towards a long-delayed presidential election in the territories and eventual statehood.
The Palestinian Authority, which administers semiautonomous areas of the West Bank but is left out of the US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza, has described Saturday’s local election in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah as a largely symbolic pilot while the authority seeks to politically link the territories.
Read moreLow turnout as Palestinians vote in first local elections since Gaza war
It was the first election in part of Hamas-run Gaza in more than two decades. Deir al-Balah, like much of the territory, is devastated by two years of war but was spared an Israeli ground invasion. Turnout there was 23 percent, but officials cited challenges including large-scale displacement and outdated civil registry records.
Hamas, which controls the half of Gaza that Israel withdrew from last year under the current ceasefire, did not field candidates and did not try to block the vote.
Turnout in the West Bank elections was 56 percent, or over a half-million people, not dramatically different from elections there in recent years.
Sidelining Hamas
Many races were not contested, and candidates were required to accept the programme of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which leads the Palestinian Authority. The programme calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.
Election results, then, were dominated by independents and Fatah, the faction that leads the authority and claimed victory.
“Everyone is aware of the political, security and economic conditions, the fragmentation of Palestinian territory, the war on Gaza, and the regional conflict in Iran,” Rami Hamdallah, chair of the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission and a former prime minister, told journalists.
“Simply holding the elections in Deir al-Balah is a significant achievement, and we hope to hold elections in other bodies across the Gaza Strip in the near future,” he said.
The elections in both territories were for the makeup of local councils tasked with overseeing water, roads and electricity.
The elections were the first to take place since reforms were enacted in response to international pressure. Elections now allow voting for individuals rather than slates. With faith in political parties low, they were less important than families and clans in campaigning.
Hamdallah called the vote a reflection of national unity, adding that “we hope that presidential and legislative elections will follow".
The Palestinian Authority, however, has not held a presidential election in 21 years, and support for it and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has withered during years of corruption and frustration over the sometimes violent advances of Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority is the internationally recognised representative of the Palestinian people. It was ousted from Gaza after Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and violently seized control. Abbas, 90, was elected to what was supposed to be a four-year term in 2005. The authority has not held presidential or legislative elections since 2006.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called Saturday’s elections “another step on the path to full independence". Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, opposes a Palestinian state.
Many Palestinians want more than local votes as they seek a greater say in their future.
“Municipal elections are an important step, but they are not enough ... We want general elections,” Bashar Masri, a prominent Palestinian-American business owner, said on social media.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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