Local Elections Held in West Bank and Deir al-Balah, Gaza, for First Time in Over 20 Years

Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized control of Gaza by militarily defeating Fatah in 2007. Hamas controls the half of Gaza that Israel withdrew from last year, including Deir al Balah, but the coastal enclave is preparing to transition to a new governance structure under a 20-point U.S. plan.

The elections are part of an effort to politically link Gaza and the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians see as integral to any future path to statehood.

“We’re talking about geographically linking the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Rami Hamdallah said. Rami Hamdallah is the chairman of the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission. Israel blocked the entry of materials such as ballot paper, ballot boxes or ink into Gaza, Rami Hamdallah said.

The Central Election Commission used wooden ballot boxes and blue ink left over from a vaccination drive last year. The Central Election Commission did not coordinate directly with Israel or Hamas ahead of the vote. Palestinian voter turnout in past local elections averaged between 50% and 60%.

By comparison, turnout in recent local elections in Lebanon was less than 40%, and in Tunisia it was 12%. Some polling places in the West Bank and Deir al Balah were busy on April 25, though others were more empty. Under the slogan “We Stay,” the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission campaigned to encourage participation, reflecting how Palestinians living amid war and occupation want a say in governance.

The single-city vote in Deir al Balah is a largely symbolic pilot, election officials said. The commission chose Deir al Balah because it was one of the few areas in Gaza where a large number of residents were not displaced during the two-year war. Campaign posters have been plastered across cities, though many, including Ramallah and Nablus, do not have contested elections.

Slates in major cities are dominated by Fatah, the faction that leads the Palestinian Authority, and independents, some with ties to other factions. It is the first time in six local elections that no faction besides Fatah has put forward its own slate. In Qalqilya, a city where no slates registered to participate, the Palestinian Authority will appoint councils.

The Palestinian Authority’s power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the West Bank. Local councils have taken on greater importance, overseeing local health centers and schools that residents once accessed elsewhere. The authority sees local elections as a low-risk way to demonstrate progress on reforms.

Progress toward further phases, including disarming Hamas, reconstruction and transferring power, is stalled. A private security company secured the vote in the areas in Gaza where it took place.

Voters who turned out said they wanted a say over decision-making in their cities. For many Palestinians, this is more than just a municipal vote, reflecting a deep public desire to be heard and to participate.