Palestinian election officials have been prevented from reaching Gaza ahead of the legislative vote scheduled for 28 November, the Central Elections Commission’s spokesman said, while stressing that staff already in the territory continue preparing for the election.
Farid Taamallah told An-Najah News on 6 October that the commission was following up on a Palestinian official’s account that Israeli authorities had refused access. He expressed regret that commission officials could not reach Gaza.
The restrictions have not stopped all of the commission’s work in the territory, according to Taamallah. He said dozens of employees and other team members remained active through offices in Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza City.
Those offices operate under the supervision of the commission’s headquarters in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. Taamallah said local staff had received training in the approved procedures and election law to carry out duties during the different stages of the process.
Their presence allowed preparations and work on the ground to continue within the resources available, he told An-Najah News.
The commission’s published election timetable confirms that candidate nominations opened on 26 September and are due to close on 13 October. Campaigning is scheduled for 6–26 November, followed by polling on 28 November.
Its official website says the election was called by a presidential decree issued on 9 July, covering Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. The commission is responsible for organising the process from voter registration through to the announcement of final results.
If held, the vote would be the first Palestinian legislative election since 2006, Reuters reported.
President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed the November election plan in his address to the UN General Assembly on 24 September, according to Reuters. The agency also reported doubts among Fatah officials about whether voting could proceed, including concerns about access for election materials to Gaza.
Taamallah’s latest account describes a distinction between officials unable to enter the territory and local teams continuing their duties. The commission’s three Gaza offices remain operational under its Ramallah headquarters, he said.
