STORY: Palestinians voted Saturday (April 25) in local elections that included Gaza for the first time in two decades, offering a gauge of political sentiment amid Israeli government opposition to a Palestinian state.

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority hopes the symbolic inclusion of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah will help reinforce its claim to authority over the war-torn territory, where Hamas ousted it in 2007.

Gazans still struggling to meet basic needs in the devastated enclave welcomed the chance to vote.

Some Palestinian factions are boycotting the elections to protest a Palestinian Authority requirement that candidates endorse its agreements, which include recognition of Israel.

Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, has not formally fielded candidates, though one slate in the Deir al-Balah race is widely viewed by residents and analysts as aligned with the group.

Hamas said it would respect the results. Palestinian sources told Reuters that the group's civil police would be deployed to safeguard polling stations in Gaza.

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STORY: Palestinians started voting in local elections on the morning of Saturday (April 25) that include Gaza for the first time in two decades and will gauge the political mood at a time when Israel's government is seeking to destroy any future for a Palestinian state.

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority hopes the symbolic inclusion of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah will help reinforce its claim to authority over the war-torn territory, from where it was ousted by Hamas in 2007.

European and Arab governments broadly support an eventual return of Palestinian Authority governance in Gaza, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state comprising Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule under Israeli occupation.

Western diplomats say local elections could pave the way for the first national elections in nearly two decades and help advance reforms to increase transparency and accountability that the Palestinian Authority says are already well under way.

The Israeli government has also taken steps to help settlers acquire West Bank land and ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said, "We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state."

Most candidates, including in the West Bank, are running under Fatah, the main political movement behind the Palestinian Authority, or as independents.

Municipal elections were last held in the West Bank four years ago.

The Palestinian Central Elections Committee said more than one million Palestinians, including 70,000 in Gaza, are eligible to vote, with results expected late on Saturday or on Sunday (April 26).

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA (APRIL 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. WOMEN REGISTERING TO VOTE IN POLLING STATION

2. WOMAN CASTING BALLOT

3. POLLING STATION OFFICIAL ASKING PERSON TO DIP THEIR FINGER IN INK DURING REGISTRATION

3. POLLING STATION OFFICIAL STAMPING WOMAN'S BALLOT PAPER

4. WOMAN PLACING BALLOT PAPER IN BALLOT BOX

5. MAN REGISTERING TO VOTE

6. MAN CASTING BALLOT

7. ELECTION SIGN / MAN CASTING BALLOT

8. WOMAN RECEIVING BALLOT PAPER

9. VARIOUS OF WOMEN CASTING BALLOTS

10. POLLING STATION BOX AND POLLING STATION OFFICIALS

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SHOWS: AL-BIREH, WEST BANK (APRIL 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN CASTING HIS BALLOTS IN POLLING STATION

2. POLLING STATION WORKER WRITING

3. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS CASTING VOTES AT POLLING STATION

4. VARIOUS OF MUNICIPAL CANDIDATE MUNIF TREISH BEING GREETED OUTSIDE POLLING STATION ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MUNICIPAL CANDIDATE MUNIF TREISH, SAYING:

"Honestly for me this is proof that the Palestinians people always show progressive initiatives within the region despite the blockade and the occupation policies and despite all the obstacles, the people decided to carry out the democratic celebration to elect its municipal councils in the West Bank. And this is proof that the Palestinian people are keen in the pursuit of democracy and their longing for self-determination and the creation of the Palestinian state within the 1967 border have Jerusalem as its capital."

6. TAG WORN BY CANDIDATE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MUNICIPAL CANDIDATE MUNIF TREISH, SAYING:

"We hope that this procedure carried out today will be crowned with legislative and presidential elections within all the Palestinian lands occupied in 1967 to renew the leaderships and policies in Palestine, hopefully."

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 26-YEAR-OLD MUNICIPAL CANDIDATE, LAYLA TAHER, SAYING:

"It's very important for me to be a candidate for the municipal council of Al-Bireh especially since I represent the youth sector and the women sector specifically, and especially the youth that are coming to present a new vision by new faces, pursuing change, development and restoration within their community."

8. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CASTING THEIR VOTES AT POLLING STATIONS

9. VARIOUS OF BILLBOARD FOR ELECTION CAMPAIGN

HEBRON, WEST BANK (APRIL 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. SCHOOL GROUNDS WHERE POLLING STATION IS

11. VARIOUS CANDIDATE CASTING HIS VOTE

12. VARIOUS OF WOMAN CASTING HER VOTE

13. RESIDENT OF HEBRON, IDRIS MARAQA CASTING BALLOT

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF HEBRON, IDRIS MARAQA, SAYING:

"I saw that this municipal council that I elected, can work on change, I feel that Hebron needs change, needs work on cleanliness, we have issues of stray dogs, assaults, we have the issues of settlement (expansion). What is your plan of tackling settlements and settlement expansion, the old city is decreasing, there are 1800 shops (closed) and another 200 will probably follow, because there is no institute that can work on stopping the settlement expansion that is heading towards the Old City and Bab Al-Zaywiya area. Aside from that, I wish that this democratic celebration will also include more, will include the legislative council, the presidency and we have no problem for it to even include at least an opinion poll for the (Palestinian) Liberation Organization, it should not be a problem."

15. VARIOUS OF MAN IN WHEELCHAIR CASTING VOTE

16. MAN TALKING TO POLLING OFFICER AND POINTING TO DOCUMENT

17. FINGERPRINT TAKING

18. PEOPLE WHO CAST VOTES SHOWING FINGERS THEY USED FOR VOTING

19. EXIT OF POLLING STATION IN HEBRON, PEOPLE WALKING OUT