Palestinians vote in first elections since war, amid ongoing Israeli attacks

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and central Gaza voted on Saturday in municipal elections, the first since Israel's war on Gaza started, marked by low turnout and a narrow slate of contenders amid continuing Israeli attacks.

Nearly 1.5 million people were registered to vote in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as 70,000 people in Gaza's Deir el-Balah area, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission (CEC).

"We are very pleased to exercise democracy in spite of the many challenges we face, both locally and internationally," Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told journalists after voting in Al-Bireh, Wafa news agency said.

By 5 pm (1400 GMT), turnout in the West Bank reached 40.62 percent, the CEC said. But participation in Deir el-Balah was significantly lower, at just 21.2 percent, by the time polls closed there at 6 pm, as Israeli attacks killed at least four people in Gaza on Saturday. 

In the previous municipal elections in March 2022, turnout was 53.7 percent in West Bank cities.

Some questioned the election's timing.

"We didn't want elections at this time - not with war in Gaza and settler attacks ongoing in the West Bank," said Ziad Hassan, a businessman from Dura Al-Qaraa village.

Reporting by AFP