Overview
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree calling elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council that would cover the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
- Israel has not publicly agreed to allow voting in occupied East Jerusalem, a requirement for ballots there to be held and counted.
- Gaza faces severe logistical barriers because much of the territory was destroyed and a large share of its population has been displaced, leaving voter registries and infrastructure unreliable.
- The 2006 parliamentary result and the 2007 West Bank–Gaza split left the legislature inactive for nearly two decades while Abbas has governed largely by decree since his 2005 term ended.
- Foreign donors and countries including France and Saudi Arabia pushed for governance reforms, and the decision could influence aid, presidential polls planned for early 2027, and domestic questions of legitimacy.