Gaza's first elections in more than two decades are set to take place in Deir al-Balah amid Israel's ongoing offensive, as the latest drone strike killed five Palestinians, including three children, despite a ceasefire reached last October.
Voting in the central Gaza city is scheduled for Saturday, alongside municipal elections across the occupied West Bank .
Widely viewed by Palestinians as a symbol of national unity in the face of controversial US proposals for Gaza that many believe would deepen its separation from the West Bank, the vote will mark Gaza’s first election of any kind since 2006. It will also be the first local election held in the territory in 22 years.
The elections come as part of a wider municipal vote covering 420 local bodies in the occupied West Bank.
Four electoral lists, all registered as independents, are contesting the Deir al-Balah vote: Peace and Construction, Deir al-Balah Unites Us, Future of Deir al-Balah, and Renaissance of Deir al-Balah. Each list includes 15 candidates, with at least four women, from whom the mayor will be selected.
In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Authority’s legislative elections and later took control of Gaza following a brief civil conflict with President Mahmoud Abbas 's Fatah movement, which remains dominant in the West Bank.
From 2005 to 2023, Hamas appointed members to local councils and municipalities across Gaza rather than holding elections.
A decree issued by Abbas designated Deir al-Balah as the sole voting location in Gaza, citing its relatively lighter damage compared with other devastated areas of the enclave and its stronger remaining infrastructure.
Although Deir al-Balah has also suffered major destruction during Israel’s war, it was not directly overrun by Israeli ground forces in the same way as other areas. Israel had previously classified it as a "safe zone", though Israeli forces destroyed the municipality headquarters in late 2024 and killed then-mayor Diab al-Jarou and several employees while they were carrying out civic duties.
Voting will take place across 12 polling centres comprising 11 stations, including open areas fitted with tents, as many schools continue to serve as shelters for displaced residents. Polls are due to open from 7am until 5pm local time.
Fareed Taamallah, spokesperson for the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, said around 70,000 Palestinians are eligible to vote in Deir al-Balah. The figure excludes many displaced people currently sheltering in the city, as only registered original residents can cast ballots.
The commission has accredited hundreds of observers from local and international bodies, as well as dozens of journalists and around 675 election staff to oversee polling.
Officials said the vote is intended not only to restore local governance and improve services, but also to help secure international funding and demonstrate that democratic institutions remain possible despite the war.
Some Palestinian analysts say the move is also an attempt by the Palestinian Authority to reassert a foothold in Gaza, counter Hamas and send a message to the international community that Gaza remains politically tied to the West Bank under one Palestinian framework.
The commission has said that if the Deir al-Balah vote succeeds, it could pave the way for similar elections elsewhere in Gaza.
The election comes amid a two-year genocidal war that has devastated the enclave, with Israel accused of daily violations of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
In the latest attacks on Wednesday evening, five Palestinians, including three children, were killed and several others were wounded when an Israeli drone strike hit a civilian gathering in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
According to Anadolu , citing a medical source, the bodies of the five victims were taken to a medical facility along with several wounded, including one person in critical condition. Eyewitnesses said the strike targeted people gathered near Al-Qassam Mosque.
Ambulances later transported the casualties to Al-Shifa Hospital.
Despite the truce, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and 172,000 wounded since the war began on 7 October 2023, while around 90 percent of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.
Since last October’s fragile ceasefire, 786 Palestinians have been killed and 2,217 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.