Palestinians Vote in First Elections Since Gaza War Began

Apr 25, 2026

Palestinians in the West Bank and the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah participated in municipal elections for the first time since 2006, marking the first vote since a ceasefire took effect in Israel's war against Gaza that began in October 2023. Approximately 70,000 eligible voters in Deir el-Balah cast ballots in temporary fibreglass tents erected on open land, as most buildings were damaged or destroyed during the war and schools now shelter displaced people. Israeli authorities prevented essential electoral materials including ballot boxes and ink from entering Gaza, forcing organizers to manufacture boxes locally and substitute WHO vaccination ink. Hamas did not participate in the elections, while voters like 43-year-old Salama Badwan and his 18-year-old daughter Dunia expressed preferences for non-factional candidates and youth-led lists capable of securing international donor support.

First elections in Gaza in over two decades amid ceasefire

▪Municipal elections took place in Gaza for the first time since 2006.
▪Israel launched a war in Gaza in October 2023.
▪Polling stations in Deir el-Balah were set up in temporary fibreglass tents on open land due to buildings being damaged or destroyed during the war.
▪The Gaza municipal elections are the first since a ceasefire took effect in Israel's war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
▪Approximately 70,000 voters are eligible to participate in the Deir el-Balah elections.
▪Deir el-Balah was chosen to hold elections because its infrastructure was less damaged than that of other cities in Gaza during the war.

Voter motivations and hopes for democratic change

▪Salama Badwan, 43, voted in Deir el-Balah municipal elections with his wife and daughter.
▪Salama Badwan wants a municipal team that does not belong to any faction and can secure support from donor countries.
▪Salama Badwan's daughter recently turned 18 and voted for the first time in her life.
▪Awda Abdel Karim Abu Baraka is 73 years old.
▪Dunia Salama, 18, is a first-year nursing student at Al-Aqsa University.
▪Dunia Salama chose a candidate list composed mostly of young people.

Logistical challenges of organizing elections in a war zone

▪Election organizers in Deir el-Balah used ink previously used by the World Health Organization during vaccination campaigns as electoral ink.
▪Election organizers in Deir el-Balah organised more than 20 awareness workshops for the municipal elections.
▪Mohammad Abu Nada is the coordinator of the Deir el-Balah electoral district.

Perspective of Salama Badwan and voters seeking non-factional governance

▪Some Deir el-Balah voters prioritize candidates who can secure support from international donor countries.
▪Voters like Salama Badwan prefer municipal teams that do not belong to any political faction in Gaza.

Perspective of Young voters in Gaza

▪Young voters like Dunia Salama prefer candidate lists in Deir el-Balah composed mostly of young people.
▪The 2025 Gaza municipal elections represent the first voting opportunity for Palestinians who turned 18 after 2006.