GAZA, Apr 22: Palestinians in one of the only Gaza cities not overrun by Israeli ground forces during the war will vote this weekend in municipal elections that will feature some pro-Hamas candidates, offering a rare barometer of the militant group's popularity.
The vote in Deir al-Balah is part of Palestinian Authority municipal elections that Palestinians have cast as a display of national unity against a U.S. plan for Gaza that they believe intends to entrench their separation from the occupied West Bank.
It will be Gaza's first vote of any kind since 2006, when Hamas won the PA's legislative elections and later seized control of Gaza following a brief civil war with PA President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, dominant in the West Bank.
The polls will be the fifth municipal elections in the West Bank since 2005. In January, the PA said it would extend those elections to Gaza "wherever possible", a move analysts see as a symbolic effort to show Gaza remains part of a future Palestinian state.
For Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, including Adham Al-Bardini, the vote on Saturday marks an opportunity for political expression after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023 that sparked Israel's devastating two-year assault on Gaza.
"For the first time in my life, in 20 years, I will have this feeling. I have been hearing about elections since I was born but because of the circumstances no elections are done," said Al-Bardini, 34.
"We are eager to take (part) so we can change the reality imposed on us."
In Deir al Balah, large banners bearing the logos of rival candidate lists decorate the streets. Voting will be held in 12 polling centres including open fields and tents.
Fareed Taamallah, spokesman for the PA Central Elections Commission, said roughly 70,000 Palestinians were eligible to vote in Deir al Balah, a city he said was chosen because it suffered less damage than the rest of the largely ruined territory.
Four lists are fielding candidates in the election, including one that has several candidates who residents and analysts regard as pro-Hamas- REUTERS
