Khaberni - The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, cast his vote in the 2026 local councils elections at a polling station in Al Mustaqbal Al Salih School in Al-Bireh city.
After casting his vote, the president said: "We are very happy to hold the elections despite all the difficulties, and we are keen on holding them on schedule."
He added: "During the year, elections for student youth and local councils were organized, and will be followed by Fatah movement elections and then the Palestinian National Council elections."
Abbas affirmed that Palestine believes in democracy and pluralism and deserves an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In related news, the chairman of the Central Election Committee, Rami Al-Hamdallah, stated that the local elections are being held for the first time in a single phase, noting that so far, the voting rate has reached about 15%.
He added during a press conference held on Saturday at the election committee headquarters in Al-Bireh city, that the electoral process is proceeding well and regularly, and that participation rates are being continuously updated.
Al-Hamdallah confirmed that conducting the elections in Deir al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip reflects the unity of the Palestinian geography, explaining that it was chosen because it was the least affected by the difficult circumstances and widespread destruction in the Strip.
He pointed out that the election committee is the reference for all electoral processes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, stating that the number of eligible voters amounts to about 1 million and 30 thousand voters, including about 70 thousand in Deir al-Balah, distributed across 11 polling centers, most of them inside tents, in addition to centers provided in cooperation with civil society institutions.
He explained that the electoral process was secured through logistical and organizational arrangements and that it is proceeding normally, noting that the polling times differ between Gaza and the West Bank due to power outages, where it ends in Gaza at five PM and in the West Bank at seven PM.
He called on voters to participate widely in this “democratic celebration.”
In related news, polling stations opened their doors on Saturday morning for electing their representatives in 183 local councils, through 491 polling centers comprising 1922 stations, and the process will continue until seven PM.
The elections include 90 municipal councils, including the municipality of Deir al-Balah, in which 321 electoral lists compete including 3773 candidates, in addition to 93 village councils, competing for their seats are 1358 candidates.
