Gaza Holds First Election in 20 Years as 70,000 Vote in Deir el-Balah
Palestinians in Gaza voted Saturday in their first election in 20 years, with 70,000 eligible voters casting ballots in municipal elections in Deir el-Balah. The West Bank also held its first local elections since the 2023 war began.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time Saturday in Gaza's Deir el-Balah area, giving 70,000 Palestinians their first chance to vote in 20 years. The municipal election is being called a "pilot" program by Gaza officials.
The vote comes after the 2023 war between Israel and Hamas that devastated much of Gaza. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank also participated in local elections for the first time since that conflict began.
Deir el-Balah, located in central Gaza, became a testing ground for whether democratic elections can work in the war-torn territory. The area has been home to many displaced Palestinians during the recent conflict.
The last Palestinian elections were held in 2006, when Hamas won a majority in parliamentary elections. Since then, political divisions between Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have prevented new votes from taking place.
This election marks the first chance for Palestinians to have a say in local government in two decades. It could signal a return to democratic processes in a region devastated by war and could affect how Gaza rebuilds and governs itself.
Results from the Deir el-Balah pilot election will determine if more municipal elections are held across Gaza and the West Bank.
Was this article helpful?
0 people found this helpful