Deir al-Balah, Gaza. Palestinians voted in local elections on Saturday that include Gaza for the first time in two decades, in a vote seen as gauging political sentiment. The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority said the inclusion of Deir al-Balah is symbolic as Israel’s government seeks to destroy any future for a Palestinian state.
Symbolic Gaza inclusion and voter sentiment
The Palestinian Authority hopes the inclusion of Deir al-Balah will reinforce its claim to authority over the war-torn territory, from which it was ousted by Hamas in 2007. Gazans, still struggling to meet basic needs in the devastated enclave, welcomed the chance to vote.
“I’ve been hearing about elections since I was born,” said Adham Al-Bardini, speaking outside his family’s tent home in the city. “We are eager to take part … so we can change the reality imposed on us.”
Ceasefire, diplomacy and governance proposals
Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel took effect in October, intermittent talks led by the United States have made little progress toward a settlement that envisages international supervision of Gaza.
European and Arab governments broadly support an eventual return of Palestinian Authority governance in Gaza and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state comprising Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule under Israeli occupation.
Election timing and prospects for national polls
Western diplomats said local elections could pave the way for the first national elections in nearly two decades and help advance reforms to increase transparency and accountability that the Palestinian Authority says are already under way.
The elections are the first Palestinian vote to be held since the Gaza war started more than two years ago with a cross-border Hamas assault on southern Israeli communities. Municipal elections were last held in the West Bank four years ago.
Financial pressure on the Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority has struggled to pay wages as Israel withholds tax revenues it collects on its behalf, raising fears of economic collapse. Israel said it is withholding the funds in protest at welfare payments to prisoners and families of those killed by its forces, which it argues incentivise attacks.
How do you think the inclusion of Deir al-Balah in the vote could affect perceptions of Palestinian Authority legitimacy in Gaza?