Abbas delays Palestinian elections again, making more than two decades without vote

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has again postponed elections, setting new dates for legislative and presidential votes on September 11, 2027. This extends a nearly 20-year period without elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and presidential polls have not occurred since Abbas' 2005 victory. Palestinian officials cited conditions in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem as reasons for the delay, with the PLO claiming Israel blocked election materials in Gaza. Israel rejected this, accusing Abbas of evading responsibility. Hamas welcomed the postponement, advocating for institutional rebuilding first. The delay allows current leaders to remain in power and comes amid uncertainty about the Palestinian Authority's future role in Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections, originally scheduled for next month, until September 11, 2027. He also called for a presidential election to be held on the same date. Abbas attributed the delay to "obstacles posed by Israeli measures" and the need to create suitable conditions for "free, fair and inclusive elections," citing the security situation in the Palestinian territories. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on the decree.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections, originally scheduled for November 2026, until September 11, 2027. These legislative elections will now be combined with a presidential vote. The decision, announced via decree, was made after a committee of top Palestinian officials determined that conditions in occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza were not conducive to holding elections. Reasons cited include Israeli interference, such as military raids and settlement expansion, restrictions on candidates and observers, and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues. The lack of progress on reconstruction and the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza also contributed to the postponement.