Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has cancelled legislative elections that were scheduled for November and set September 11, 2027, as the date for both presidential and legislative elections. The move was announced in a decree on Saturday, which cited worsening conditions in the Palestinian territories, according to the official Palestinian news agency.
The decree pointed to “obstacles posed by Israeli measures” and the need for suitable political, security and on-the-ground conditions for “free, fair and inclusive elections”. It called on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza to take part in the polls. Serious doubts had already been raised about whether the vote would go ahead in late November.
Israeli measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
The decree said Israeli military attacks, settlement expansion, settler violence and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, made preparations difficult. It also cited Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues.
Gaza conditions and limits on election observers
In Gaza, the decree pointed to “exceptional security and humanitarian conditions”, the incomplete withdrawal of Israeli forces, slow reconstruction and the failure to implement arrangements for deploying international stabilisation forces and police. Israeli restrictions on access for election commission staff and international observers to Gaza and East Jerusalem also complicated preparations, the decree said.
Decision follows PLO committee resolution and consultations
The postponement followed a resolution by the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee and consultations with Hamas and political forces. The decision is also meant to allow time for a comprehensive Palestinian national dialogue that would strengthen unity and address challenges facing the electoral process.
