Palestinians voted in local elections on Saturday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza. This marked the first vote of any kind held in the Gaza Strip in two decades since Hamas won in 2006.

For years, elections to choose Palestinian representatives were repeatedly postponed, and no parliamentary elections have been held since 2006, when Hamas secured a surprise victory in Gaza over Fatah, the faction led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

This time around, most electoral lists are aligned with Abbas's secular-nationalist Fatah movement or consist of independents supported by smaller factions such as the Marxist‑Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

A number of Palestinian factions boycotted the electoral process in protest against the Palestinian Authority's (PA) conditions for candidates to join, which were introduced as part of an electoral reform last year. Some aspiring candidates additionally complained they were prevented from participating.

Hamas, meawhile, is absent from the race in Deir al-Balah, though some candidates are speculated to be aligned with the movement.

Why local elections matter

Nearly 1.5 million people are registered to vote in the West Bank, as well as 70,000 people in Deir al-Balah area, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission. Foreign diplomats were visiting polling stations to monitor the process.

Voter turnout remained notably low, standing at 15% by late morning and later rising to 24.53% by 1 pm, the election commission said. News agency AFP reported that many stations across parts of the West Bank remained empty.

Palestinians will vote to select representatives for municipal and village councils for a four-year term. Municipal councils handle everyday services, such as overseeing water supplies, sanitation and local infrastructure.

Although they do not hold legislative power, local councils have become important in that they are one of the last remaining democratic mechanisms under the Palestinian Authority, which has been widely criticised over corruption, stagnation and declining legitimacy.

These elections are therefore one of the few remaining political mechanisms that allow Palestinians a limited form of political participation.

"We must see change every four years through elections... We can't change the situation but we hope to replace people... people who might be better and help develop the community," one voter told AFP.

Another voter said the elections felt largely symbolic, but that they served as a sign of people's "will to live".

The vote is also important for Western and regional supporters of the Palestinian Authority, who continue to provide financial and diplomatic support but seek clear reforms.

The European Union called the vote an "important step towards broader democratisation and strengthened local governance... in line with the ongoing reforms process".

Voting in a fragmented environment

Many European and Arab nations support the Palestinian Authority's return to governance in Gaza and regard it as a legitimate governing body for an independent Palestinian state.

However, the Palestinian Authority faces several challenges, including a severe financial crisis due in part to Israel withholding tax revenues.

Israel also maintains varying degrees of direct and indirect control over key aspects of daily life for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. As a result, Palestinian political decisions are therefore restricted or heavily influenced by Israeli approval.

Another challenge is that voting rights are not the same for all Palestinians. Gaza, with the exception of Deir al-Balah, remains largely excluded. Furthermore, Palestinians in Jerusalem or those with Israeli citizenship are unable to participate as they are under Israeli governance, and the Palestinian diaspora also cannot participate as they are in imposed exile.

Additional sources • AFP