Abbas calls for presidential and legislative polls on the same date; Israel rejects explanation as political divisions and electoral uncertainty persist.
Ramallah, Oct 2026 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections scheduled for next month until September 11, 2027, and called for presidential elections to be held on the same date, citing Israeli restrictions and the prevailing security and humanitarian situation in Palestinian territories.
According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the presidential decree said the postponement was necessary because of obstacles created by Israeli measures and the need to establish appropriate political, security and ground conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections.
However, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected the explanation, calling it “yet another ridiculous lie designed to evade responsibility and accountability”. He also criticised the Palestinian leadership for failing to hold national elections for nearly two decades.
The Palestinian Authority had been facing growing uncertainty over whether the elections would take place as scheduled next month. Palestinians have not held legislative elections since 2006 or presidential elections since 2005. Following the 2006 legislative polls, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after violent clashes with forces loyal to Abbas’ Fatah movement.
Abbas has continued to govern through presidential decrees since his presidential mandate expired in 2009, adding to long-standing concerns over the democratic legitimacy of Palestinian political institutions.
The decree cited Israeli military operations, settlement expansion, settler violence and restrictions on movement in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as major obstacles to conducting elections. It also referred to Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
In Gaza, the decree pointed to exceptional security and humanitarian conditions, the incomplete withdrawal of Israeli forces, limited progress in reconstruction and delays in arrangements for deploying international stabilisation forces and police.
It urged Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza to participate in the electoral process. However, restrictions on access for election commission officials and international observers to Gaza and East Jerusalem were identified as additional challenges for preparations.
Israel generally prevents the Palestinian Authority from holding elections in East Jerusalem, which it captured during the 1967 war and later annexed. The annexation is not recognised by most countries internationally.
The postponement followed consultations with Palestinian factions and political groups. Abbas’ administration said the additional time would enable comprehensive national dialogue to strengthen Palestinian unity and address challenges affecting the electoral process.
Two Palestinian officials told Reuters that representatives of Abbas’ Fatah movement and rival Hamas had agreed during a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday to postpone the elections.
The decision comes amid declining public support for both major Palestinian political factions. An August survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research indicated waning support for Hamas and Fatah, with many Palestinians holding both responsible for the continuing political divisions between the West Bank and Gaza.
The announcement also marks a shift from Abbas’ September 24 address to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he reaffirmed the November election timetable while seeking to advance internationally backed reforms.
Abbas had previously committed in writing to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to hold presidential and legislative elections as part of efforts linked to France’s recognition of a Palestinian state in September 2025.
France’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that holding elections was essential and welcomed the launch of a European Union election observation mission.
The postponement leaves the timing of renewed Palestinian electoral participation uncertain, while questions over political reconciliation, governance and the conditions required for credible elections remain unresolved.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
