Israel Blocks Palestinian Election Committee Entry to Gaza and Jerusalem
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, a Palestinian official source announced on Tuesday that the Israeli regime has objected to the entry of representatives from the Palestinian Central Elections Committee into the Gaza Strip and occupied Jerusalem. The source, whose identity was not revealed, stated that the Israeli government has not granted permission for the members of the Central Elections Committee to enter Gaza and Jerusalem to follow up on the election process.
This action, occurring just before the Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for late November, critically challenges the preparations for holding these elections. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had previously set November 28 as the date for the parliamentary elections in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip via a decree issued on July 9. If these elections proceed, they will mark the first Palestinian parliamentary elections since 2006.
The Palestinian Central Elections Committee commenced the process of receiving applications for electoral list registrations on September 26. In the first four days, the committee received applications for eight electoral lists, and the registration period is set to continue until October 13.
Hussein al-Sheikh, the Deputy Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, had announced on August 2 that if the elections could not be held due to obstruction or disruption in the Gaza Strip or any other part of the Palestinian territories, the alternative option would be to form the Palestinian National Council through agreement, as the Palestine Liberation Organization is considered the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people.
According to released statistics, approximately 2.97 million Palestinians are eligible to vote, with about 1.59 million in the West Bank, 1.24 million in the Gaza Strip, and around 140,000 Jerusalem ID holders.
The last Palestinian parliamentary elections were held in 2006, after which political disagreements between the Fatah and Hamas movements led to a political schism in Palestine. Hamas secured a majority of the seats in those elections and took control of the Gaza Strip about a year later, while the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, continued its activities in the West Bank. The Palestinian Legislative Council’s activities have been suspended since 2007, and the Palestinian Constitutional Court announced the dissolution of the council in 2018 through a ruling.
