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Overview
- Voters in the West Bank and in Deir al‑Balah, Gaza, cast municipal ballots Saturday in the first Palestinian vote since the war and the first held in Gaza since 2006.
- Official turnout reached 53.44% in the West Bank and 22.70% in Deir al‑Balah, with counting underway and preliminary results expected within a day.
- The Palestinian Authority presented the Deir al‑Balah contest as a pilot for possible wider local elections intended to reestablish its role in Gaza.
- Hamas did not field official lists and said it would not interfere, yet residents and analysts reported Hamas‑aligned candidates and civil police near polling places.
- Election organizers said they awaited Israeli clearance to move ballot boxes and supplies into Gaza, and analysts warned new councils have scant resources and access to repair basic services.