PA leader Abbas's loyalists win local elections, including in Gaza's Deir al‑Balah
The Times of Israel • • general
Key Points:
- A Fatah-backed list led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s party won most seats in the recent Palestinian municipal elections, which included, for the first time in nearly 20 years, a city in Gaza controlled by Hamas.
- The elections marked the first polls in Gaza since 2006 and the first Palestinian elections since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli war on Gaza.
- Voter turnout was low in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah at 23%, due to displacement and logistical challenges, while turnout in the West Bank was about 56%, similar to previous years.
- Hamas boycotted the elections in the West Bank and did not formally run candidates in Gaza, though some candidates aligned with Hamas won a few seats; Fatah won the majority of seats, especially in the West Bank.
- The elections are seen as a step toward Palestinian political reform and unity amid complex challenges, though many Palestinians continue to call for broader presidential and legislative elections, which have not been held since 2006.
