Gaza Strip-Municipal Elections
Gaza Strip-Municipal Elections
Dateline : April 25, 2026
Location : Gaza Strip
Duration : 1'51
Deir al-Balah, Gaza - April 25, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Poster of 2026 municipal elections
2. Polling station, workers, voters
3. Voters, workers at polling station
4. Various of voters casting ballots
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jameel al-Khaldi, regional director, Palestine's Central Elections Commission:
"We are pleased today to open polling stations in Deir al-Balah to elect a municipal council for the city. This step comes alongside elections in the West Bank."
6. Various of Ataf al-Buhaisi, voter casting ballot
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ataf al-Buhaisi, Palestinian voter:
"We hope to live a better and more dignified life than what we have now. There is no education, no healthcare, not even food. We've lost even basic comfort. We want to live safely again, for our children to return to school, and for the elderly to have access to medicine."
8. Various of voters, workers at polling station
9. Faten Harb, local elections candidate, speaking during interview
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Faten Harb, elections candidate (starting with shot 9):
"Today is a joyful democratic moment for the people, especially as it coincides with elections in the West Bank. It shows that Palestinians are one people seeking freedom."
11. Various of voter at polling station, filling out form and casting ballot
12. Various of voters at polling station
Thousands of Palestinians voted Saturday in the first municipal elections held in Gaza in 20 years, though the process was limited to the city of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the enclave, alongside local elections across the West Bank.
Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time (0400 GMT), with voting continuing until 17:00 in Deir al-Balah and until 19:00 in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Central Elections Commission.
The commission said some 1.3 million voters are eligible across the Palestinian territories, including around 70,000 in Deir al-Balah.
According to the commission, the elections cover 183 local bodies in the Palestinian territories. In total, 321 electoral lists comprising 3,773 candidates are competing for municipal seats, alongside 1,358 candidates for village councils.
In Deir al-Balah, four electoral lists are competing, each with 15 candidates including at least four women.
"We are pleased today to open polling stations in Deir al-Balah to elect a municipal council for the city. This step comes alongside elections in the West Bank," said Jameel al-Khaldi, regional director of the Central Elections Commission.
The vote took place under challenging living conditions, with ongoing displacement and limited basic services affecting daily life.
"We hope to live a better and more dignified life than what we have now. There is no education, no healthcare, not even food. We've lost even basic comfort. We want to live safely again, for our children to return to school, and for the elderly to have access to medicine," said Ataf al-Buhaisi, a Palestinian voter.
Voters and candidates hope these elections mark the beginning of a broader political process that could lead to wider national votes and help improve living conditions and services in the Gaza Strip.
"Today is a joyful democratic moment for the people, especially as it coincides with elections in the West Bank. It shows that Palestinians are one people seeking freedom," said Faten Harb, a local elections candidate.
It is the first time local elections have been held in Gaza since 2006, before Hamas took control of the enclave in 2007. Multiple rounds of conflict and political divisions have since prevented such votes.
ID : 8476516
Published : 2026-04-26 14:13
Last Modified : 2026-04-26 18:52:28
Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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