Loyalists of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won most municipal races, election officials said on Sunday (26 April). Reuters reported that elections were held for the first time in nearly two decades in the central Gaza city of Deir al‑Balah, which is governed by Hamas.
Saturday’s ballot marked the first elections of any kind in Gaza since 2006 and the first Palestinian polls since the war began, following Hamas’ cross‑border attack on southern Israel on 7 October, 2023. The Strip has since been devastated by fighting, leaving much of the population displaced and focused on basic survival.
Abbas’ West Bank‑based Palestinian Authority (PA) said the inclusion of the central Gaza city of Deir al‑Balah, which suffered less damage than other parts, was intended to underline that Gaza remains an inseparable part of a future Palestinian state.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said the elections were held “at a highly sensitive moment amid complex challenges and exceptional circumstances”, but described them as “an important first step in a broader national process aimed at strengthening democratic life and ultimately achieving the unity of the homeland”.
Hamas, which ousted the PA from Gaza in 2007, did not officially nominate candidates in Deir al‑Balah and boycotted the vote entirely in the West Bank, where a victory for Fatah, Abbas’ movement, was widely expected.
However, several candidates on a list known as "Deir al‑Balah Brings Us Together" were viewed by residents and analysts as aligned with Hamas, making the vote a potential barometer of support for the Islamist group after the war.
Preliminary results showed the list won just two of the 15 seats contested. A Fatah‑backed list, Nahdat Deir al‑Balah, secured six seats, while the remaining positions were split between two Gaza‑based groups, Future of Deir al‑Balah and Peace and Building, neither affiliated with Fatah nor Hamas.
In the West Bank, Abbas loyalists swept the elections, with Fatah candidates running unopposed in many contests.
Voter turnout was low, reflecting ongoing instability and war‑related disruption. In Gaza, turnout reached 23%, while participation in the West Bank stood at 56%, according to Central Elections Commission chairman Rami al‑Hamdallah.
Al‑Hamdallah said some ballot boxes and voting equipment initially failed to reach Gaza due to Israeli security restrictions, but the commission said it managed to overcome those challenges.
Fatah spokesperson Abdul Fattah Dawla said turnout in the West Bank was comparable to the last municipal elections in 2022, praising voters for participating despite continued Israeli military operations.
“By electing figures linked to Fatah, voters appear to be seeking broader international support for municipal governance and a gradual political shift that could extend beyond the local level,” said Palestinian political analyst Reham Ouda.
Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem downplayed the significance of the results, saying the municipal vote had no bearing on wider national political questions.
Israel has continued to conduct strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire, as the territory grapples with widespread destruction, displacement and ongoing humanitarian needs.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturda...
Félicien Kabuga, one of the last remaining suspects linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody at the age of 93, a United Nati...
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus ...
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation ta...
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday (16 May) as two large-scale protests unfolded simultaneously -...
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation targeting Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has reduced fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The agreement came as two days of Washington-facilitated talks concluded with a decision to hold further meetings in the coming weeks.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
The United States is considering asking Israel to transfer part of the tax revenues withheld from the Palestinian Authority (PA) to Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to help fund Gaza’s post-war reconstruction, according to five sources familiar with the discussions.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
A high-powered lawyer representing Elon Musk attacked the personal and professional credibility of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday, as a landmark federal trial in California nears its conclusion.
Uzbekistan has launched a nationwide environmental initiative titled ‘Day Without Cars’, which will take place twice a month as part of efforts to improve air quality and reduce vehicle emissions.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus could become one of the world’s key strategic connectors in an emerging multipolar order.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum will open in Baku on Sunday, bringing together government representatives, city leaders, urban planners, international organisations, businesses and civil society to discuss the future of sustainable urban development.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, has travelled to Baku to attend the 13th World Urban Forum, where climate change and safer cities will be discussed.
Children laughed, applauded and watched wide-eyed as animated characters lit up the screen at the opening of the ninth Animafilm International Animation Festival in Baku, where filmmakers and audiences from around the world gathered to celebrate the growing influence of animated cinema.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment