Palestinians in the West Bank and parts of the Gaza Strip on Saturday participated in municipal elections, the first since the outbreak of the Gaza war, amid a constrained political landscape and growing public frustration.
According to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission, about 1.5 million voters were registered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while roughly 70,000 were eligible to vote in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area.
Polling commenced at 7am, with voters seen casting their ballots in locations including Al-Bireh in the West Bank and Deir el-Balah in Gaza.
Most of the contesting candidates are aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement or running as independents, with no participation from Hamas, which controls significant parts of Gaza.
In several areas, Fatah-backed candidates are competing against independent lists, including those linked to smaller political factions.
A voter in Al-Bireh, Khalid Eid, expressed cautious optimism speaking with AFP, after casting his ballot, noting that elections offer an opportunity, however limited, for change at the grassroots level.
Municipal councils in the Palestinian territories are responsible for delivering basic services such as water supply, sanitation, and local infrastructure, rather than legislating on national matters.
The elections come against a backdrop of criticism of the Palestinian Authority over issues of governance, corruption, and waning public confidence, with national elections yet to be conducted since 2006.
Observers note that municipal polls have become one of the few remaining democratic processes under the authority’s administration.
A United Nations official, Ramiz Alakbarov, commended the conduct of the exercise, describing it as an important opportunity for citizens to exercise their democratic rights despite prevailing challenges.
However, some residents remain sceptical about the impact of the elections, citing ongoing security concerns and limited autonomy under Israeli control.
Voting in the West Bank was scheduled to close at 7pm, while polling in Deir el-Balah was set to end earlier due to electricity constraints affecting vote counting.
The elections are taking place after more than two years of conflict that has devastated large parts of Gaza, severely affecting infrastructure, healthcare, and essential services.
Despite the challenges, some voters described participation as a reflection of resilience and a desire for stability and recovery in the aftermath of the war.
