Israel barred representatives of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission from entering Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem ahead of Palestinian legislative elections planned for late November.
A Palestinian source said the Israeli government prevented the commission representatives from carrying out their duty of monitoring the election process. The Israeli government did not state why entry was denied.
Election timetable set for November 28
On July 9, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree scheduling legislative elections for November 28 in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza. If the vote takes place, it will be the first Palestinian legislative election held since 2006.
The Palestinian Central Elections Commission began accepting registration applications on September 26 to compile the voter rolls. Eight applications were submitted during the first four days, while registration will continue until October 13.
Alternative arrangement if elections are disrupted
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh said in remarks to journalists on August 2 that an alternative arrangement would be introduced if elections were prevented or disrupted in Gaza or another part of the Palestinian territories.
Al-Sheikh said the Palestinian National Council would be formed through consensus under the arrangement. He said the Palestine Liberation Organization was the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Around 2.97 million Palestinians eligible to vote
Around 2.97 million Palestinians are eligible to vote in the elections. About 1.59 million of these voters are in the West Bank, 1.24 million are in Gaza and 140,000 hold Jerusalem identity cards.
Legislative Council inactive since 2007
Palestine’s last legislative elections were held in 2006, when Hamas won a majority of the seats. A political division subsequently emerged between Hamas and Fatah; Hamas took control of Gaza about a year later, while the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority remained in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Legislative Council has not operated since 2007. The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled in 2018 that the council should be dissolved.
