Mahmoud Abbas postpones Palestinian legislative elections another year

President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections for the second consecutive year, issuing a decree on Friday that pushes the vote back to September 11, 2027, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency. This decision leaves entrenched Palestinian leaders unchallenged and further undermines the credibility of the Palestinian Authority among its supporters and international donors.

The elections, along with presidential polls, were originally scheduled for next month. The move follows consultations among top Palestinian officials on Saturday, with the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee stating that conditions in the region were not favorable for holding elections, citing Israel's restrictions on election materials and observers in Gaza.

The postponement comes after Palestinian factions discussed delaying the vote during a meeting in Cairo. Palestinians have not held legislative elections since 2006, when Hamas won a majority. Since then, power has been divided between Gaza and the West Bank, with Hamas governing Gaza and Abbas' Palestinian Authority ruling the West Bank.

The West Bank has experienced increasing violence due to Israeli settlement expansion and Israeli army raids on authority-controlled cities. Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan, the immediate role of the authority remains undefined as Hamas governs and the Board of Peace awaits permission to enter Gaza. An alliance of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and a Fatah bloc led by ex-security chief Mohammed Dahlan emerged behind the scenes, challenging Abbas' leadership.