Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Gaza’s First Municipal Vote in 20 Years, 24% Turnout.

4/25/2026

30 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Deir al-Balah held Gaza’s first municipal election in 20 years on 25 April 2026, alongside West Bank polls.
About 1.5 million West Bank voters and 70 000 Gaza voters cast ballots, with turnout around 24.5 percent.
All candidate lists were aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party or ran as independents.
UN officials deemed the process credible while Hamas police and a private security firm guarded polling stations.

History

Historical Context

Following the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority held its first legislative election on 2 January 1996, with Yasser Arafat winning the concurrent presidential vote by 88.2 percent. The election introduced a nationwide voting framework that persisted, as seen in the 25 April 2026 municipal polls in Deir al-Balah and the West Bank, where Fatah-aligned turnout remained modest and UN observers affirmed credibility.

1 of 2

Story summary

Deir al-Balah held Gaza’s first municipal election in 20 years on 25 April 2026, alongside West Bank polls.
About 1.5 million West Bank voters and 70 000 Gaza voters cast ballots, with turnout around 24.5 percent.
All candidate lists were aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party or ran as independents.
UN officials deemed the process credible while Hamas police and a private security firm guarded polling stations.

1 / 2