At the beginning of October 2026, Israel refused to allow officials from the Palestinian Central Elections Commission and international election observers to enter Gaza to monitor preparations for the legislative elections. Israel continues to refuse such access in Jerusalem. The Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for 28th November 2026 face a more complex situation than previous elections. The obstacle is no longer confined to Jerusalem, as it was during the 2006 elections and the attempted elections of 2021, but now extends to the Gaza Strip as well. Gaza has around 1.24 million registered voters out of approximately three million Palestinian voters, a number that cannot be disregarded under any circumstances, quite apart from the overriding political consideration, which is as significant […]