Residents of Gaza’s Deir el-Balah are heading to the polls on Saturday for the territory’s first municipal elections in more than two decades, hoping to restore local governance while still reeling from Israel’s devastating war.The central city was selected as a testing ground for a revival of the democratic process because it sustained less infrastructural damage than other areas in the besieged enclave. Nevertheless, the scars of Israel’s genocidal war there are stark.In December 2024, Israeli forces bombed the Deir el-Balah municipality building, killing then-Mayor Diab al-Jarou and 10 staff members as they worked to provide essential services for displaced Palestinians. The deadly attack was carried out despite the Israeli military having designated the city as a “safe zone”.Today, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) – the independent body responsible for administering elections across the Palestinian territories – views the vote as a pivotal milestone.Jamil al-Khalidi, the CEC’s regional director, told Al Jazeera that the April 25 election will be part of a broader process, including 420 local councils in the occupied West Bank, with Deir el-Balah the sole participating municipality in Gaza.It marks a significant departure from the policy of administrative appointments that has governed the Strip under Hamas leadership for the past 21 years.About 70,000 eligible voters over the age of 18 can cast their ballots between 7am and 5pm (04:00-14:00 GMT). To ensure a smooth process, the CEC has launched a toll-free hotline for …
