Palestinians Vote in First Municipal Elections Since War

By Staff, Agencies

Palestinians went to the polls on Saturday morning to vote in municipal elections across parts of the West Bank and central Gaza, in the first such vote since the start of the "Israeli" war on Gaza, AFP reported.

Voting began at 7:00 am and is set to end at 5:00 pm [Al-Quds time]. Around 1.5 million eligible voters in the West Bank are taking part, along with about 70,000 voters in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, according to the Central Elections Commission.

The elections are being held amid ongoing "Israeli" violations despite a ceasefire agreement, which continues to result in casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure and vital facilities, alongside repeated strikes on residential areas.

"Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] have also deliberately targeted security and police institutions in Gaza, with field reports over recent months indicating losses among Palestinian police following airstrikes on civilian and security sites.

Just yesterday, eight people were claimed in an "Israeli" airstrike that targeted a police vehicle in the Bir 19 area of al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

In a statement, the Ministry of Interior in Gaza said that since the ceasefire agreement of October 2025, the IOF have killed 31 police officers in the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry demanded that the mediators and the international community take urgent action to end "Israeli" violations of international law and the ceasefire agreement.

This comes as targeting has expanded to include institutional and service infrastructure, further complicating efforts to organize and secure the electoral process.

Competition remains limited, with most lists tied to Fatah or independents and Hamas absent.

In cities like Ramallah and Nablus some candidates won unopposed, while others face limited contests, with some voters calling it “a show for international media” under continued “Israeli” control.

In Gaza, voting is limited to Deir al-Balah—the first since 2006—under wartime conditions of displacement and power outages, with early closures planned for counting.

Officials coordinated security, while a UN official praised the polls as a chance to exercise democratic rights despite the challenges.