DEIR EL-BALAH — Residents of Gaza's Deir el-Balah headed to the polls on Saturday for the territory's first municipal elections in more than two decades, administered by the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC). The vote marks a departure from the policy of administrative appointments that has governed the Strip under Hamas leadership for 21 years.

Around 70,000 eligible voters over the age of 18 can cast ballots between 7am and 5pm (04:00-14:00 GMT) at 12 electoral centres located in local stadiums, women's activity centres, and former clinics, with each centre equipped with eight polling stations. The CEC launched a toll-free hotline for residents to verify their registration status.

CEC regional director Jamil al-Khalidi said the April 25 election is part of a broader process, including 420 local councils in the occupied West Bank, with Deir el-Balah the sole participating municipality in Gaza. The city was selected as a testing ground for a revival of the democratic process because it sustained less infrastructural damage than other areas in Gaza.

In December 2024, Israeli forces bombed the Deir el-Balah municipality building, killing then-Mayor Diab al-Jarou and 10 staff members. The Israeli military had designated the city as a "safe zone" at the time of the attack.

The electoral system relies on closed lists, each of which must include at least 15 candidates, including a minimum of four women. Voters will first choose one of four lists, then cast preference votes for five specific candidates within that list. The 15 candidates with the most support will form the new local council, with female representation maintained.

Formal political parties like Hamas or Fatah are not running under their official banners, and candidates are largely grouped into tribal or professional alliances. Four nominally independent lists are competing for council seats: Peace and Construction, Deir el-Balah Brings Us Together, Future of Deir el-Balah, and Renaissance of Deir el-Balah.

Deir el-Balah resident Rabha al-Bhaisi said she is more interested in essential services than political rhetoric. "The citizen today is not looking for slogans, but for real solutions," she said.

Political analyst Wesam Afifa questioned the strategic weight of the vote. "Neither Hamas nor any other faction, including Fatah, views this election as an opportunity to prove its legitimacy or measure its popularity. The circumstances are simply too extraordinary," he said. "Even Hamas has not explicitly announced it will compete, trying instead to monitor from afar or participate symbolically."

Afifa said the composition of the lists reflects a social pattern rather than governance reform. "The reliance on independent lists indicates that Palestinian society is falling back on traditional family networks, rather than a genuine shift towards international demands for technocratic governance," he said.

Any newly elected council will have to navigate how it interacts with the "technocratic committee" of United States President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, led by Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to manage Gaza. Afifa said, "If a technocratic committee model succeeds in Gaza, it could be proposed for the occupied West Bank, further threatening the Palestinian Authority's legitimacy." The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority is simultaneously holding elections in the occupied West Bank.