Overview
- Deir al Balah held municipal elections alongside West Bank local polls, marking Gaza’s first ballot in two decades.
- Turnout was 23 percent, with postwar damage and outdated voter rolls cited for keeping many away from the polls.
- Official results show the Fatah‑aligned Renaissance list won six of 15 council seats, while Deir al Balah Unites Us took two.
- Hamas neither fielded candidates nor stopped the vote from going ahead.
- Election officials said the process aimed to show Palestinians can run their own civic affairs and begin to rebuild trust in local government.