Praise be to God: The electoral process was conducted with integrity and transparency under extremely complex circumstances.
– 197 local authorities won by acclamation and 522,000 voters cast their ballots
Salfit leads in voter turnout with 71%, while Deir al-Balah records the lowest turnout at 23%.
Prime Minister: “Local governance” will support elected councils to provide the best services
No clearing funds have been transferred since [year].
Al-Bireh, April 26, 2026 (WAFA) – The Central Elections Commission announced today, Sunday, the results of the local elections, which took place in 183 local bodies in the West Bank, in addition to the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, and included the number of votes and seats won by each list .
The head of the Elections Committee, Rami Hamdallah, said during a press conference held at the committee’s headquarters in Al-Bireh that the electoral process took place in very complex circumstances, but it was completed with integrity and transparency according to reports from local and international monitoring bodies .
He pointed out that the successful conduct of the elections in Deir al-Balah city represents an achievement in itself, explaining that the voter turnout there, which reached 23%, is due to the reliance on the civil registry, which does not reflect the current reality, in light of the martyrdom of a large number of citizens, the conditions of displacement, and the lack of basic necessities of life .
He also touched on the most prominent challenges that faced the organization of the elections in Deir al-Balah, such as the Israeli occupation’s refusal to allow the entry of election materials, but the election committee was able to overcome this through local efforts .
He considered that the success of holding the elections simultaneously between the West Bank and Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip carries an important political message that confirms the possibility of achieving national unity, and paves the way for holding general elections, including the National Council elections, and the presidential and legislative elections .
Al-Hamdallah explained that the new election law was implemented for the first time, and included the open list system and the individual system, which necessitated extensive awareness programs and the training of thousands of trainers to ensure the success of the electoral process .
In the same context, he called for an evaluation of the law with the participation of all relevant parties, in order to strengthen and develop the electoral process in the future, pointing out on the other hand the financial deficit suffered by the Election Commission which may affect its ability to meet its financial obligations .
He also expressed his gratitude to all components of the electoral process, starting with President Mahmoud Abbas, who participated in the voting in Al-Bireh, and the Prime Minister for his support and facilitation of the committee’s work, in addition to the various ministries, security services, official and local media, international and local observers, donors, and technical teams .
He explained that the number of voters who cast their ballots was about 522,000, while 197 local authorities won by acclamation .
The voter turnout in the West Bank was 56%, compared to 53.7% in the 2012 elections, 53.8% in 2017, and 58% in 2022 .
The head of the Central Elections Committee pointed out that Salfit Governorate recorded the highest voter turnout at 71%, while Deir al-Balah recorded the lowest turnout at 23 % .
He added that the percentage of invalid ballots was 4%, compared to 1% blank ballots, and 95% valid ballots, noting that the decrease in the percentage of invalid ballots was a result of intensive awareness campaigns, and the percentage of women’s representation among the winners was 33 %.
Rami Hamdallah added that the near-final results will be announced through the official website of the Election Commission as soon as they are ready, and will be subject to appeal according to legal procedures. The final results will be handed over to the Ministry of Local Government after the appeals process is completed, which is expected to be at the beginning of next May .
For his part, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa congratulated the Central Elections Commission and the Palestinian people on this advanced national step on the path to full and complete independence in all Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip and occupied Jerusalem .
Mustafa conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas, who has remained steadfast in his vision and national determination on various issues, including pushing for elections, starting with local elections, despite the current circumstances and challenges .
He said that the local elections took place at a very important time and under complex challenges and exceptional circumstances, stressing that the success of holding them in the West Bank and partially in the Gaza Strip constitutes a first and important step within a broader national path, which aims to consolidate democratic life, strengthen the resilience of national institutions, and ultimately complete other national entitlements and achieve national unity .
The Prime Minister stressed that local elections are not just an administrative or technical procedure, but rather represent part of an integrated governmental vision aimed at strengthening the role of local bodies and enabling them to carry out their duties in serving citizens .
He explained that the “Sustainability of Local Government Bodies Initiative” was launched within the National Development and Improvement Program in its ten initiatives, with the aim of enhancing the status of these bodies and their ability to respond to the needs of citizens and improve the level of services provided to them .
Mustafa pointed out that the Ministry of Local Government will continue, by virtue of its role stipulated in the law, to support the elected local councils, raise their ranking and improve their services, in order to develop work systems and improve institutional performance, in addition to completing financial settlement processes in a way that ensures their sustainability .
He added that efforts will also continue towards attracting the necessary funding and grants for infrastructure projects, which will contribute to strengthening the role of municipalities and local government bodies, and multiply their impact on improving the lives of citizens .
The Prime Minister noted that the government has launched a number of support programs and projects for local authorities in the past few months, which elected councils can use to enhance their services .
He explained that these programs include $50 million through Arab and Islamic funds allocated to local government bodies, in addition to programs worth €40 million through the Municipal Development and Lending Fund, along with more than 170 million shekels of government support for local bodies, from licensing fees, Ministry of Transport and Communications revenues and traffic violations .
He explained that these efforts come within the framework of enhancing and improving the efficiency of services provided to citizens in various regions, especially in the roads and infrastructure sectors .
Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa also noted that the leadership welcomed Security Council Resolution 2803 and the subsequent arrangements for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, calling for its comprehensive and rapid implementation .
He said that the ceasefire is not yet complete, and the occupation of the Gaza Strip is still ongoing and must be ended urgently .
He stressed the need to open all crossings to allow the urgent entry of humanitarian aid, and then move on to reconstruction needs, explaining that the current volume of aid is still far less than what was agreed upon and what the citizens need .
He warned that the security instability in the Gaza Strip could be used as a pretext to delay the reconstruction process, which requires accelerating the implementation of all arrangements during the transitional phase, which extends to 24 months according to the Security Council resolution, of which 4 months have already passed .
Regarding the financial crisis the government is going through, Mustafa said that the Israeli occupation’s siege is not limited to the Gaza Strip, as it is working to strangle the West Bank, including Jerusalem, through political, security and colonial tools, in addition to continuing to deduct Palestinian clearance funds .
He added that these deductions have escalated over the past 12 months, as Israel has not transferred any of the tax and customs revenues to the Palestinian Authority treasury .
The Prime Minister considered these measures to be “another occupation,” stressing that the government is working on two tracks: pressuring Israel to release the withheld funds, and doing everything possible to thwart the occupation’s plans and attempts to subjugate our people .
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M.R., R.S./S.K.
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