Palestinians vote for municipal councils
Ramallah, Palestinian Territories—Palestinians in the West Bank and central Gaza voted for municipal councils on Saturday, the first elections since the Gaza war began.
With a narrow slate of contenders, turnout was initially low in the occupied West Bank where 1.5 million people were registered to vote.
But it was boosted by a last-minute surge, reaching 53.44 percent, the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission (CEC) said, just fractionally lower than in the previous ballot in March 2022.
In Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, however, participation was low with only 22.7 percent of the 70,000 registered voters casting ballots, it said.
“We are very pleased to exercise democracy in spite of the many challenges we face,” President Mahmud Abbas told journalists after voting in Al-Bireh, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
During the morning, a steady trickle of voters could be seen heading to polling stations in the West Bank, while foreign diplomats observed the process.
Timing questioned
“We will elect someone who can improve the local community … things like water and repairing the streets,” said Manar Salman, an English teacher in Jericho.
“We don’t receive much support from outside, and the occupation affects us in many ways… it limits what the municipality can do.”
Some questioned the timing of the vote.
“We didn’t want elections at this time—not with war in Gaza and ongoing settler attacks in the West Bank,” said Ziad Hassan, a businessman from the village of Dura Al-Qaraa.
“The decision was imposed on us.”
Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have surged since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
‘An important step’
“The main thing is security from settlers. That’s why we need new faces, young people willing to fight for our rights,” said Abed Jabaieh, 68, former mayor of Ramun village.
Most electoral lists were aligned with Abbas’ secular-nationalist Fatah movement or composed of independents.
Hamas was absent from the race.
Municipal councils oversee water, sanitation and local infrastructure but do not enact legislation.
With no presidential or legislative elections since 2006, electing local councils has become one of the last remaining democratic mechanisms under the Palestinian Authority.
