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Elections Set for Nov. 28
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree setting November 28, 2026 as the date for legislative elections, calling on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to participate in free and direct elections to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that legislative elections will be held in late November, as his government comes under mounting international pressure to demonstrate its legitimacy”
WAFA said the decree was issued in accordance with the provisions of Law No. (1) of 2007 concerning general elections and its amendments, and it aimed to consolidate the foundations of democracy and complete the electoral process that began in the State of Palestine.
The Times of Israel reported that the Thursday decree would be the first legislative vote in two decades, with the last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza held in 2006 when Hamas won and defeating Abbas’s Fatah party.
The Times of Israel also said the Thursday decree was issued four days before the European Union convenes a donor conference in Brussels for the PA, which is desperate for funds needed to continue providing basic services to Palestinians in the West Bank.
The same Times of Israel report tied the PA’s election timing to financial pressure, saying Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has blocked the transfer of billions of dollars in Palestinian clearance revenues for 16 straight months.
Donor Pressure and Hamas Dilemma
In Ramallah, ynet reported that Palestinian officials said the move to hold elections for the first time in two decades reflects “massive international and Arab pressure,” along with conditions imposed by donor countries.
ynet quoted a senior Palestinian Authority official describing how “international actors and donor states vetoed” a plan for combined National Council and Legislative Council elections in November, saying countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Syria refused to allow millions of Palestinians on their territory to vote.
The Times of Israel said the decree made no mention of presidential elections, but a separate decree signed in June said they would be held in 2027, while Ghassan Khatib of Birzeit University told AFP that Abbas was now serious about holding elections for domestic and international reasons.
The Times of Israel also said it was unclear whether Hamas or Hamas-linked parties will be able to participate due to a new election law Abbas signed last month requiring all candidates to accept the Palestine Liberation Organization’s political program, including recognition of Israel and support for a two-state solution.
ynet described Hamas’s dilemma as existential, saying that “In the West Bank, the moment Hamas presents candidates or opens campaign headquarters, Israel will arrest them immediately,” while “In the Gaza Strip, their candidates will be under direct threat of assassination.”
Rules, Seats, and What’s at Risk
The National Council and Legislative Council changes described by ynet included an increase in parliamentary seats by presidential decree from 132 to 200, with the official saying the goal was to create a new elected leadership for the Palestinian people.
The National Council and Legislative Council changes were also reflected in other reporting, with the decree described by The National News as setting November 28 for the first legislative elections in 20 years and Wafa’s official wording calling for elections to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The Guardian reported that the election law and oversight debate intersect with broader scrutiny of systems, quoting Clean Clothes Campaign spokesperson Ineke Zeldenrust that “audits consistently miss the most dangerous conditions,” though that quote appeared in the context of a separate garment-factory story rather than the Gaza election process.
In the election-focused reporting, Arab News PK said Abbas declared Nov. 28 as the date for legislative elections across the Occupied Palestinian Territories including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and said Palestinians would elect members of the Legislative Council for the first time in two decades.
WAFA said a date for presidential elections scheduled for the first quarter of next year would be determined according to the law, placing the next political step after the November 28 legislative vote.
