Palestinian Authority Postpones Legislative Elections to 2027

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Saturday canceling the legislative elections previously scheduled for November 28. The decree sets a new date for both presidential and legislative elections in September 11, 2027, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. The new decree calls for Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza to participate in free and direct elections for both the president and legislative council members simultaneously.

The decision follows consultations among Palestinian factions, political forces, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee. WAFA reported that the committee agreed that Israeli measures in the West Bank and Gaza pose a significant obstacle to holding elections on the original date. The postponement aims to allow for the preparation of "suitable political, security, and field conditions for free, fair, and comprehensive elections."

WAFA cited Israeli military actions, settlement expansion, settler violence, and movement restrictions, along with the withholding of Palestinian financial revenues, as reasons for the delay. The report came after Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, informed France of the postponement, citing deteriorating conditions in the Palestinian territories. In a letter dated last Thursday to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, al-Sheikh stated that the expected political, security, and economic conditions for the November 2026 elections had not materialized.

The letter further explained that holding the elections under current circumstances would face "fundamental obstacles affecting their comprehensiveness, freedom of participation, and the integrity of the electoral process." Reuters obtained a copy of this letter.