Palestinians cast ballots in first elections since Gaza war

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GAZA: Palestinians in the West Bank and parts of Gaza cast ballots on Saturday, marking the first elections held since the 2023 Gaza war. Nearly 1.5 million people are registered for the municipal vote, which focuses on local services like water and infrastructure rather than national legislation.

While turnout stood at 15 percent by late morning, the European Union hailed the vote as a vital step toward democratization and local governance reform. The field remains politically narrow; lists are primarily aligned with President Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah party or independent candidates, with no Hamas-affiliated lists participating. In Gaza, the vote was limited to Deir el-Balah as a pilot program.

Despite widespread disillusionment regarding Israeli military control and Palestinian Authority stagnation, voters described the process as a symbolic sign of their ‘will to live’.

Photo Credits: AFP