Palestinian president postpones legislative elections to September 2027

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections to September 2027, according to official media. This decision confirms widespread speculation surrounding the polls, which were last held in 2006. The elections will be held alongside presidential elections on September 11, 2027, Abbas announced in a decree, citing "obstacles" imposed by Israel, as reported by the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

The international community has strongly advocated for these legislative elections, which were initially scheduled for November 28. Israel criticized Abbas's Palestinian Authority as "corrupt" over the delay. Abbas's office stated that the delay is due to "obstacles imposed by Israeli measures" and the need to create appropriate conditions for free, fair, and inclusive elections.

Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, accused Abbas of "fooling the international community" by postponing the polls. The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories took place in 2006, when Hamas emerged victorious, defeating Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority. This resulted in a rift that led to factional fighting, with Hamas eventually seizing control of the Gaza Strip and creating a territorial divide between Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza.

Since 2007, the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Palestinian Authority's parliament, has not convened. Abbas won the last presidential election in 2005, and his term was set to expire in 2009, but he has since ruled by decree.