Palestinian Legislative Elections Scheduled for November 28, Marking First Vote Since 2006

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a presidential decree setting November 28 as the date for long-awaited Palestinian legislative elections, marking the first official parliamentary vote scheduled since 2006.

The elections will be held across the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, with Palestinians invited to elect members of a newly expanded Legislative Council.

The announcement follows a series of electoral reforms approved in June, including increasing the number of parliamentary seats from 132 to 200, lowering the minimum candidacy age from 28 to 23, reducing the electoral threshold to 1%, and strengthening women's representation by requiring at least one female candidate among every three names on each electoral list.

The amended law also requires candidates to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and to commit to its political program and relevant international resolutions.

Hamas rejected the amendments, accusing the Palestinian Authority of making unilateral decisions and arguing that the changes are intended to preserve the existing political leadership.

According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, presidential elections are expected to be scheduled during the first quarter of next year as part of a broader effort to revive Palestinian institutions.

The vote comes amid growing domestic and international pressure to renew the legitimacy of Palestinian governing bodies following the war in Gaza and years of political division. However, major challenges remain, including the longstanding split between Fatah and Hamas, disagreements over the electoral process, and ongoing security conditions across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

The last Palestinian legislative elections were held in January 2006, when Hamas won a parliamentary majority. Planned elections in 2021 were postponed indefinitely after Abbas said Israel refused to allow voting in occupied East Jerusalem.