By GlobalDeskNews Staff · October 10, 2026
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has pushed the vote back by almost ten months. In a decree issued on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Abbas cancelled legislative elections scheduled for November 28, 2026, and set September 11, 2027 for both the presidential and legislative ballots — the latest chapter in the long story of Palestinian elections postponed.
Key takeaways
- A presidential decree on October 10, 2026 cancelled the November 28, 2026 legislative elections and set September 11, 2027 for both presidential and legislative votes, reported by Reuters via the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
- The decree cites "obstacles posed by Israeli measures" — military attacks, settlement expansion, settler violence, and movement restrictions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
- For Gaza it cites "exceptional security and humanitarian conditions," the incomplete Israeli withdrawal, stalled reconstruction, and the failure to deploy international stabilisation forces.
- It followed a PLO Executive Committee resolution and faction consultations, with time set aside for a Palestinian national dialogue aimed at strengthening unity.
- It would be the first Palestinian vote since 2005-06; the 2006 legislative election, won by Hamas, triggered the Fatah-Hamas rift.
- Israel had not publicly responded to the decree at the time of publication.
Mahmoud Abbas at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Palestinian elections postponed: what the decree orders
The decree does two things at once: it cancels the November 28, 2026 legislative elections and fixes September 11, 2027 as the Palestinian elections September 2027 date for both the presidency and the Legislative Council. Reuters reported it through WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency; The National, TRT World, and Gulf News carried it too.
It calls for "free, fair and inclusive elections" once suitable political, security, and on-the-ground conditions are in place, and urges Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza to take part.
Why were Palestinian elections postponed
In the West Bank, the decree lists Israeli military attacks, settlement expansion, settler violence, and movement restrictions — including in East Jerusalem, where Israel recently closed the UK consulate before Britain kept a reduced "UK Mission" there. It also blames Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, which has squeezed the Palestinian Authority's budget.
For Gaza, it cites "exceptional security and humanitarian conditions," the incomplete Israeli withdrawal, stalled reconstruction, and the failure to deploy international stabilisation forces and police — underscored by the fact that Israeli strikes killed at least five people in Gaza on Saturday alone. The decree also says Israeli restrictions on election staff and observers reaching Gaza and East Jerusalem have complicated preparations.
FILE PHOTO: Ramallah in the West Bank, 2024. (Photo: Ameen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Delay follows PLO backing and a push for national dialogue
The move followed a PLO Executive Committee resolution and consultations with Palestinian factions, Reuters reported. Part of the stated aim is time for a comprehensive Palestinian national dialogue to strengthen unity.
The National added that faction sources linked the delay mainly to that dialogue, expected in Egypt — and to ending what they call "Palestinian division" before any vote. The polls, in other words, wait until the factions agree on the terms.
First Palestinian election since 2006: two decades without a vote
Palestinians have not voted since 2005-06. The last legislative election, in 2006, was won by Hamas — the result that triggered the Fatah-Hamas rift. The council has been inactive since 2007 and was dissolved by the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2018.
The 2021 attempt was shelved by Abbas after Israel refused to permit voting in East Jerusalem. If September 2027 holds, a generation of Palestinians will vote for the first time.
FILE PHOTO: The flag of Palestine. (Image: Orionist, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Preparations were under way — against the odds
Election officials were still trying. This week, commission head Jamil Al Khalidi told Palestinian media that preparations were under way for elections in Gaza and the West Bank despite security, logistical, and technical hurdles, The National reported — including sourcing alternatives to ballot boxes and voting ink, which Israel blocks from entering Gaza.
The pressure on Abbas is real: an August poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research found 79 percent of 1,270 respondents wanted him to resign, The National reported. The outlet also notes, in its own framing, that Abbas "has overstayed his term by 17 years and now rules by decree."
Why it matters
For Palestinians, this is about the most basic democratic right — a vote denied for twenty years. The decree's call on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza to take part underlines the divided geography any election would have to bridge: a West Bank under military pressure, an East Jerusalem with restricted access, and a Gaza in humanitarian crisis.
The Palestinian presidential election 2027 contest would carry special weight. The presidency has not faced voters since Abbas won it in January 2005. A credible Palestinian vote has long been described by diplomats as part of any path to a lasting settlement — another postponement pushes that prospect further out.
FILE PHOTO: The Dome of the Rock in East Jerusalem, where the decree cited restrictions on voting. (Photo: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
What happens next
Three things have to move before September 11, 2027: the national dialogue in Egypt, the security and reconstruction situation in Gaza, and whether election staff and observers can reach Gaza and East Jerusalem.
The precedent is not encouraging — the 2021 elections were postponed over East Jerusalem voting rights and never rescheduled. At the time of publication, Israel had not publicly responded to the decree.
Frequently asked questions
When will the next Palestinian elections be held?
September 11, 2027. President Mahmoud Abbas set that date in a decree issued on October 10, 2026, for both the presidential and legislative elections, while the legislative vote planned for November 28, 2026 was cancelled. Whether the new date holds depends on security conditions and the planned national dialogue.
Why did Abbas cancel the November 2026 legislative elections?
The decree blames "obstacles posed by Israeli measures," saying a November vote was impossible. It lists Israeli military attacks, settlement expansion, settler violence, movement restrictions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues as reasons a free and fair vote could not be held.
What reasons did the decree give for Gaza specifically?
It cites "exceptional security and humanitarian conditions" in Gaza, the incomplete withdrawal of Israeli forces, stalled reconstruction, and the failure to implement arrangements for international stabilisation forces and police. Restrictions on election staff and observers reaching Gaza also complicated preparations, the decree says.
When were the last Palestinian elections held?
Palestinians have not voted since 2005-06. The last legislative election was in 2006 and was won by Hamas, triggering the Fatah-Hamas rift. Abbas was elected president in January 2005. The Legislative Council has been inactive since 2007 and was dissolved by the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2018.
What is the planned Palestinian national dialogue?
It is a proposed round of talks between Palestinian factions, expected in Egypt, aimed at ending what faction sources call "Palestinian division" before elections are held. The postponement followed a PLO Executive Committee resolution and faction consultations, with dialogue presented as a step toward unity.
What does the latest opinion polling say about Abbas?
An August poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research found that 79 percent of the 1,270 people surveyed wanted Abbas to resign, The National reported. The finding points to deep public frustration with a leadership that has governed without fresh elections for two decades.
Sources
- Reuters, "Abbas postpones Palestinian elections, sets presidential poll for September 2027" (Oct 10, 2026): reuters.com
- The National, "Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas postpones elections to September 2027" (Oct 10, 2026): thenationalnews.com
- TRT World, reporting on the Abbas decree and Palestinian election history: trtworld.com
- Gulf News, "Palestine elections postponed: Abbas cancels legislative vote" (Oct 10, 2026): gulfnews.com