For the first time in 20 years, polls open for Palestinians in Gaza
Municipal elections are being held in both the West Bank and in the central Gaza Strip.
Palestinians began casting ballots in municipal elections across the West Bank and central Gaza on Saturday morning.
While the West Bank last held local elections before the Gaza war, the opening of polls in Deir el-Balah marks the first time in 22 years that residents of the city have been able to vote for their own representatives. Polling stations opened at 7 am local time.
Since Hamas seized control of the Strip in 2007, the group has historically appointed council members and blocked the municipal elections that continued periodically in Palestinian Authority-administered areas of the West Bank.
The vote serves as a significant political barometer for both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
While Hamas did not officially field candidates under its own name, several independent lists are widely suspected of having the group's backing.
Due to the widespread destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, voting is being held in makeshift tents and open fields. Results are expected to be announced on Sunday.