Palestinians cast ballots Saturday in local elections across the occupied West Bank and in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, marking the first vote of any kind in Gaza since 2006. The elections proceed despite a Hamas boycott and widespread voter scepticism about their ability to change daily realities under Israeli occupation.
More than one million voters across Palestinian territories were eligible to participate, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission. In Deir al-Balah, 70,000 residents could vote at 12 makeshift polling stations constructed in tents and damaged buildings, the only Gaza location where elections took place.
The Palestinian Authority chose Deir al-Balah because it suffered less destruction during the Israel-Hamas war than other Gaza areas. Hamas was not permitted to stand after refusing to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation's authority, though one slate of candidates was widely seen as Hamas-aligned.
Fatah dominance and factional divisions
Fatah, the faction led by 90-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas, dominated ballots across Palestinian territories after other major factions boycotted over electoral law requirements. Candidates had to commit to recognising "the Palestinian Liberation Organisation as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and its political programme, which includes recognising Israel.
The requirement effectively sidelined Hamas and other factions that oppose the PLO's approach. In many West Bank locations, Fatah faced no opposition candidates, guaranteeing victory through a process called acclamation rather than competitive voting.
"The resources are limited, the demands are many, there's the settlers, the army - the problems don't stop. You can't do anything for them."
Hani Odeh, outgoing mayor of Qusra near Nablus, told Al Jazeera as he explained his decision not to seek re-election.
Major cities including Ramallah and Nablus held no competitive elections, instead filling positions through acclamation where single candidate lists were elected without formal votes. Across the West Bank, 42 municipal councils and 155 village councils were decided this way.
Voter apathy reflects deeper frustrations
The elections revealed widespread Palestinian disillusionment with both the PA and the broader political system. Many voters expressed doubt that local elections could address fundamental issues like Israeli occupation, settlement expansion, or economic hardship.
- 5,131 candidates competed across 90 municipal councils and 93 village councils
- Nearly one-third of the electorate was aged 18 to 30
- No national elections have been held since 2006
- Local elections had not occurred in the West Bank since 2022
In Qusra, where Odeh served as mayor, residents face regular settler attacks that killed two people last month. The Israeli military has kept the town's main gate closed for two years, while settlers repeatedly damage water infrastructure and prevent farmers from accessing their fields.
Sara Nasser, a 26-year-old pharmacist from Deir Qaddis, told Al Jazeera she had grown accustomed to elections not happening. "It's been since before I was aware that there were significant elections. We've always lived like this."
Gaza vote carries symbolic weight
The Deir al-Balah election represented the first opportunity for Gazans to vote in two decades, though officials described it as largely symbolic and a "pilot" programme. The Central Election Commission promoted the vote under the slogan "We Stay" to demonstrate Palestinian determination to remain on their land.
Commission spokesperson Fareed Taamallah said the vote aimed to "link the West Bank and Gaza politically as one system," which Palestinians view as essential for future statehood. The commission could not send traditional election materials like ballot boxes or ink into Gaza and had not coordinated directly with either Israel or Hamas.
Hamas continues to operate in parts of Gaza where Israeli forces have withdrawn, and Reuters reported that Hamas police were involved in security operations around polling stations. The group's popularity has declined in Gaza due to the war, which some residents partially blame on Hamas for launching the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered Israeli retaliation.
How the outlets are framing it
The BBC focused on the electoral mechanics and Hamas's exclusion, emphasising this as Gaza's first vote in two decades.
Al Jazeera highlighted voter scepticism and the futility many Palestinians feel about elections under occupation, featuring extensive interviews with disillusioned residents.
France 24 positioned the elections as a "barometer" of Palestinian public opinion, noting Hamas-affiliated candidates remained on ballots despite the official boycott.
ABC News framed the vote as a test of public trust in Palestinian leadership, emphasising reforms enacted after international pressure.
Results were expected late Saturday or Sunday, though the broader impact on Palestinian political unity remained uncertain. The elections underscored the continued division between Hamas-controlled Gaza and the PA-governed parts of the West Bank, a split that has persisted since Fatah was violently ousted from Gaza following Hamas's 2006 legislative victory.
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