Overview
- President Mahmoud Abbas signed the decree on Thursday, July 9, 2026, formally calling legislative elections for November 28, 2026, and inviting voters in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza to participate.
- The biggest legal and practical hurdle remains voting in Jerusalem because Israel controls access and has in the past blocked Jerusalem ballots, a dynamic that led Abbas to suspend elections in 2021.
- Hamas has announced it will dissolve Gaza’s governing body and prepare a technocratic transfer under an international proposal, a step that could either clear a path for Gaza participation or become a new source of dispute.
- Organizers face technical obstacles including creating a single voter roll and enabling travel between Gaza and the West Bank, with Gaza residents having voted only in isolated local polls earlier this year.
- If carried out, the vote would be the first Palestinian legislative election since 2006, testing the Palestinian Authority’s mandate, shaping donor relations and affecting everyday life for Palestinians who seek clearer representation and services.