Abbas Delays Palestinian Elections to Sept. 11, 2027 as 20-Year Voting Gap Deepens
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 11
Abbas Delays Palestinian Elections to Sept. 11, 2027 as 20-Year Voting Gap Deepens
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 11
Summary
Sept. 11, 2027 is now the date for both Palestinian legislative and presidential elections after Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree delaying a vote that had been due next month.
Palestinian officials blamed conditions in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, saying Israel blocked election materials and international observers from entering Gaza; Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called that a lie.
The postponement extends a political freeze that has left Palestinians without legislative elections since Hamas won in 2006 and without a presidential vote since Abbas' 2005 victory.
Opponents say the move shields Abbas from accountability and from a potential challenge by an emerging alliance involving Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Mohammed Dahlan's faction.
The delay also clouds the Palestinian Authority's credibility and its possible future role in Gaza under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan, while Hamas still governs the territory.