From the Liveblog of
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Palestinians vote in West Bank, part of Gaza for municipal elections; polls open in Deir el-Balah for 1st time in over 20 years
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Palestinians begin voting in municipal elections in the West Bank and a part of Gaza this morning in a first vote since the Gaza war.
Polling stations opened in the West Bank and in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area at 7 a.m.
Voters are casting ballots in Deir el-Balah for the first time in over 20 years.
Residents of the city, like all other Gazans, have not been able to vote for their own local representatives since Hamas took over the Strip in 2007.
Throughout its decades of controlling the enclave, Hamas has appointed city council members, repeatedly preventing municipal elections from being held alongside those that have continued in Palestinian Authority areas in the West Bank.
It is unclear if the terror group will honor the results.
Read more: For first time in decades, PA bringing municipal vote to city in Gaza
The Times of Israel Community.