JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian authorities said Sunday that local elections in a single Gaza community and the Israeli-occupied West Bank were a success and called them a step toward a long-delayed presidential election in the territories and eventual statehood.
The Palestinian Authority, which administers semiautonomous areas of the West Bank but is left out of the U.S.-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza, has described Saturday's local election in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah as a largely symbolic pilot while the authority seeks to politically link the territories.
It was the first election in part of Hamas-run Gaza in more than two decades. Deir al-Balah, like much of the territory, is devastated by two years of war but was spared an Israeli ground invasion. Turnout there was 23%, but officials cited challenges including large-scale displacement and outdated civil registry records.
Hamas, which controls the half of Gaza that Israel withdrew from last year under the current ceasefire, did not field candidates and did not try to block the vote.
READ MORE: Palestinians vote in the first Gaza elections held in more than 20 years
Turnout in the West Bank elections was 56%, or over a half-million people, not dramatically different from elections there in recent years. Official results of the voting were expected later Sunday.
"Everyone is aware of the political, security and economic conditions, the fragmentation of Palestinian territory, the war on Gaza, and the regional conflict in Iran," Rami Hamdallah, chair of the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission and a former prime minister, told journalists.
"Simply holding the elections in Deir al-Balah is a significant achievement, and we hope to hold elections in other bodies across the Gaza Strip in the near future," he said.
Voters in Gaza said they were driven to the polls despite a near-total absence of public services. The elections in both territories were for the makeup of local councils tasked with overseeing water, roads and electricity.
The elections were the first to take place since reforms were enacted in response to international pressure. Elections now allow voting for individuals rather than slates. With faith in political parties low, they were less important than families and clans in campaigning.
Hamdallah called the vote a reflection of national unity, adding that "we hope that presidential and legislative elections will follow."
The Palestinian Authority, however, has not held a presidential election in 21 years, and support for it and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has withered during years of corruption and frustration over the sometimes violent advances of Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people. It was ousted from Gaza after Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and violently seized control. Abbas, 90, was elected to what was supposed to be a four-year term in 2005. The authority has not held presidential or legislative elections since 2006.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called Saturday's elections "another step on the path to full independence." Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, opposes a Palestinian state.
Many Palestinians want more than local votes as they seek a greater say in their future.
"Municipal elections are an important step, but they are not enough ... We want general elections," Bashar Masri, a prominent Palestinian-American business owner, said on social media.