Abbas Pushes Palestinian Elections to 2027 Amid Political Uncertainty

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections scheduled for November and called for presidential and legislative polls to be held together on September 11, 2027, according to a decree reported by the official WAFA news agency.

The Palestinian Legislative Council election had been set for November 28, 2026. The new decree sets the presidential vote for the same day. Presidential elections have not been held for more than two decades, while Palestinians last voted in legislative elections in 2006.

The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, chaired by Abbas, approved the postponement on Saturday after consultations with political factions. The committee said conditions had changed since the earlier election announcement and that the situation did not allow for voting that was free, fair and inclusive across East Jerusalem, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Palestinian officials cited security and logistical obstacles, including restrictions preventing election materials and international observers from entering Gaza. They also pointed to Israeli military activity, settler violence and movement restrictions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the absence of reconstruction and security arrangements in Gaza.

Israel has disputed accusations that it is responsible for the delay. The postponement followed discussions among Palestinian factions in Cairo about conditions needed for holding the vote.

Hamas won a majority in the 2006 legislative election. The result was followed by a breakdown in relations with Abbas’ Fatah movement. Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, while the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah, continued administering parts of the West Bank. No legislative election has been held since.

Ahead of the postponement, factions had discussed possible electoral coordination. An emerging alignment reportedly involved Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a bloc associated with former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan, who went into exile after a dispute with Abbas.

Abbas, president since 2005, has delayed elections several times. The decree instructs the Central Elections Commission to prepare and supervise the next polls under applicable law across the Palestinian territories.