Palestinians cast vote in first elections since Gaza war
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\nPalestinians in the occupied West Bank and the central Gaza area of Deir al-Balah went to the polls on Saturday in municipal elections, marking the first vote since the Gaza war, Arab News reported.<\/p>\n
According to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission, nearly 1.5 million registered voters are eligible in the West Bank, while around 70,000 are registered in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time.<\/p>\n
Turnout occurred under difficult conditions, particularly in the northern West Bank, where some refugee camps have been under Israeli military control for over a year. Many residents expressed skepticism about the impact of the vote.<\/p>\n
Polling in the West Bank is scheduled to close at 7 p.m., while voting in Deir al-Balah ends earlier to allow counting in daylight amid Gaza\u2019s damaged infrastructure and limited electricity.<\/p>\n
The elections are being administered by the Central Elections Commission in Ramallah, with UN coordination official Ramiz Alakbarov describing the process as a \u201ccredible\u201d opportunity for democratic participation during a difficult period.<\/p>\n
Gaza, which has been under Hamas control since 2007, is holding its first vote since the 2006 legislative elections. Analysts note that the limited vote in Deir al-Balah appears partly experimental, as Palestinian Authority President Abbas\u2014now 90 and in office for more than two decades without reelection\u2014has repeatedly postponed broader national elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Palestinians cast vote in first elections since Gaza war ——————————- Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the central Gaza area of Deir al-Balah went to the polls on Saturday in municipal elections, marking the first vote since the Gaza war, Arab News reported. According to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission, nearly 1.5 million registered …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[2927],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-palestine"],"yoast_head":"\n