Palestinians were voting in local elections on Saturday (April 25, 2026) that include Gaza for the first time in two decades and will gauge the political mood at a time when Israel’s government is seeking to destroy any future for a Palestinian state.
The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority hopes the symbolic inclusion of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah will help reinforce its claim to authority over the war-torn territory, from where it was ousted by Hamas in 2007.