Abbas postpones Palestinian legislative elections from November to 11 September 2027

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed the Palestinian legislative elections that were due on 28 November 2026 to 11 September 2027, when they will be held together with a presidential election, AFP reported via Dawn on Saturday. Abbas set the new date in a presidential decree, and his office's statement, carried by the official Wafa news agency, called for "simultaneous presidential and legislative elections".

Why the vote was moved

The presidency said "obstacles imposed by Israeli measures" made voting on the original date impossible, and that the right "political, security and on-the-ground conditions" were needed. The Palestinian Authority says Israel has refused election officials access to East Jerusalem and Gaza. A presidential vote had been expected in early 2027; it is now on the same day as the legislative one.

Reaction

Israel called the Palestinian Authority corrupt over the expected delay, and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Abbas of "fooling the international community", AFP reported. The postponement was also reported by Business Recorder.

Twenty years without a parliament vote

• The last Palestinian legislative elections were in 2006, when Hamas won.
• The Palestinian Legislative Council has not met since 2007.
• Abbas's presidential term should have ended in 2009, and he has governed by decree since.

The delay means at least another 11 months before Palestinians can vote for a parliament for the first time in two decades. More on the region is on our world desk.