Over 1.5 million people are registered on the electoral rolls in occupied West Bank, and 70,000 in the Deir el-Balah area in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Published on: Apr 25, 2026 09:19
Reading time: 1 min
[Context: The article discusses the municipal elections in Palestine, noting the voter turnout and political context surrounding the elections.]
This is a first since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza began to vote on Saturday, April 25 to appoint their mayors and municipal councilors, against a backdrop of disillusionment and limited political choices. Over 1.5 million people are registered on the electoral rolls in the occupied West Bank, and 70,000 in the Deir el-Balah area (center of the Gaza Strip), the two regions concerned, according to the Central Elections Commission, based in Ramallah.
[Fact Check: The elections are described as symbolic with a focus on local governance rather than national political representation.]
At the opening of the polling stations on Saturday at 7 am (6 am Paris time), images from AFP in al-Bireh, in the West Bank, and Deir el-Balah showed electoral officials in the polling stations, with few voters in attendance. “These elections are symbolic, but I see them as an expression of our determination to live. We are an educated and determined people, we deserve to have our own state,” said Mohammed al-Hasayna, 24, after voting in Deir el-Balah. “We want the world to help us overcome the catastrophe of war. Enough war! It is time to work on rebuilding Gaza.”
[Fact Check: Municipal councils in Palestine are responsible for local services like water, sanitation, and infrastructure, with no legislative powers.]
The lack of presidential and legislative elections since 2006, the holding of which remains suspended, has made municipal councils one of the few functional democratic institutions under the Palestinian Authority’s administration. Facing criticism for corruption, economic stagnation, and legitimacy erosion, the Authority’s support is increasingly tied to visible reforms, especially at the local governance level.
[Fact Check: The article mentions international donor conditionality on support tied to governance reforms in Palestine.]
UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Ramiz Alakbarov praised the organization of the elections as “an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their democratic rights in a particularly difficult time.” Most lists are aligned with Fatah, the nationalist party led by President Mahmoud Abbas, or are independent. None of the lists, however, claim allegiance to Hamas, the Islamist rival of Fatah that controls most of the Gaza Strip and whose attack on October 7, 2023, in Israel triggered the war in the Palestinian territory.
[Fact Check: The article discusses political party alignments in the municipal elections in Palestine.]
