Supporters of President Mahmoud Abbas emerged victorious in the majority of positions during the Palestinian municipal elections, as reported by election officials on Sunday. This election was notable for being the first in almost twenty years to feature a city in the Gaza Strip, governed by the rival group Hamas.
The elections held on Saturday were the first of any type in Gaza since 2006 and the first Palestinian elections since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict over two years ago, triggered by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), based in the West Bank, emphasized that the participation of the Gaza city Deir al-Balah, which experienced relatively less destruction during the conflict, was meant to affirm Gaza’s integral role in the vision of a future Palestinian state.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa noted that the elections took place “at a highly sensitive moment amid complex challenges and exceptional circumstances” as the results were disclosed on Sunday, despite the low voter turnout.
However, he characterized the elections as “a significant initial step in a broader national process aimed at bolstering democratic life… and ultimately achieving national unity,” he stated.
A voter and election workers are seen in a Deir al-Balah polling station on Saturday. Saturday’s ballot marked the first elections of any kind in Gaza since 2006. (Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
Voters in Deir al-Balah expressed to CBC News their hopes that these elections would be the first of many changes to come.
“It holds great significance for us and has initiated change within the municipality,” remarked 26-year-old Shafika Rabah regarding the elections.
“We hope this will expand, allowing us to choose beyond just the municipality, improving our situation,” she added.
Mahmoud Al-Bahishi, 52, shared that they are optimistic the results will usher in “a change in our current living conditions.”
“Every time we support candidates who demonstrate capability, they will assist us, God willing, and advocate for our needs in the city of Deir el-Balah,” Al-Bahishi conveyed.
Hamas and Other Party Boycotts
Hamas, which seized control of Gaza from the PA in 2007, did not officially nominate candidates in Gaza and chose to boycott the elections in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Fatah’s victory was largely anticipated.
A leader from another party, the Palestinian National Initiative, informed CBC News that they also abstained from participating, citing a lack of genuine “democratic competition.”
“The Palestinian Authority mandated that candidates adhere to a specific political agenda… which alienated many political factions like ours, leading to our decision to boycott,” stated Mustafa Barghouti.
Gaza held elections for local representatives for the first time in 20 years, but only in one city. Most of the Palestinian territory was unable to participate because of devastation caused by years of war.
Although Hamas did not participate in the ballot, certain candidates from one of the lists in Deir al-Balah were perceived by residents and analysts as affiliated with the group, making the voting a potential reflection of support for the Islamist organization.
Initial results indicated that the list named Deir al-Balah Brings Us Together secured only two out of the 15 available seats in Gaza.
The Nahdat Deir al-Balah list, which received support from Abbas’s Fatah party and the PA backed by the West, obtained six seats. The other seats were captured by two additional Gaza-based groups, Future of Deir al-Balah and Peace and Building, which are not linked to either faction.
A voter stamps their fingerprint in a polling station in Al-Ubaidiya, Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Saturday. Loyalists of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas swept the election in the West Bank, running unchallenged in many seats. (Mahmoud Illean/The Associated Press)
Abbas’s supporters dominated the elections in the West Bank, often running without any opposition.
Fatah spokesperson Abdul Fattah Dawla highlighted that voter turnout was consistent with the previous municipal elections in the West Bank in 2022, commending those who participated despite the ongoing violence from Israel.
“By electing candidates associated with Fatah, voters seem to be advocating for unrestricted international support for local governance and a gradual political transformation that could transcend the local level,” commented Palestinian political analyst Reham Ouda.
Challenges with Low Turnout and Logistics
The recent conflict has left much of Gaza in ruins, with a significant number of residents displaced and focused on survival. Israel has continued to conduct airstrikes despite a ceasefire declared in October.
In Gaza, turnout was only 23 percent, while the West Bank recorded a turnout of 56 percent, as stated by Rami Hamdallah, the chair of the Central Elections Commission.
An election organizer in Deir al-Balah informed CBC News about several logistical hurdles faced during the process.
Election workers are seen at a polling station in Deir al-Balah on Saturday. In Gaza, voter turnout reached just 23 per cent, while in the West Bank it was 56 per cent, according to the chair of the Central Elections Commission. (Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)
“Israel obstructed the entry of essential supplies and materials necessary for the elections — including ballot boxes, voting materials, ink, and other items,” reported Amjad Al-Shawwa.
“We managed to find local solutions through the Central Election Commission, with assistance from certain UN agencies,” he added.
Hamas’s spokesperson in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, played down the significance of the election outcomes, asserting that they do not affect broader national issues.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and central Gaza are voting in municipal elections Saturday. It’s the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023 that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank will head to the polls, while Gaza’s Deir al-Balah region is hosting the besieged enclave’s first electoral exercise in 20 years.