More than 20 years after Mahmoud Abbas was elected to a four-year term, Palestinian voters face another delay in choosing a new legislature, extending an almost two-decade election hiatus.
Abbas signed a decree Friday moving Palestinian Legislative Council elections from next month to Sept. 11, 2027, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Presidential elections are set for the same date, despite the fact that Abbas has not faced a presidential vote since winning in 2005.
The postponement enables Palestinian leaders to remain in office without seeking a fresh mandate. It could also further erode confidence in the Palestinian Authority, which has long faced allegations of corruption and criticism over its security coordination with Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the opening ceremony of the Innovation and Excellence Compound in Ramallah, West Bank, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
The Palestinian Authority, controlled by Abbas’ Fatah movement, administers limited areas of the West Bank under agreements signed in the 1990s.
Palestinian officials pointed to conditions in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem as justification for delaying the election. The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, led by Abbas, alleged that Israel had prevented election supplies and international observers from reaching Gaza, according to The Associated Press.
An Israeli army vehicle patrols near the northern Gaza Strip border, viewed from the Israeli side in southern Israel on Jan. 16, 2026. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the allegation and accused Abbas of deflecting responsibility for the postponement.
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“Abbas’ attempt to drag Israel into this, falsely claiming that Israel imposed obstacles to holding elections, is yet another ridiculous lie designed to evade responsibility and accountability,” Saar wrote on X.
Hamas welcomed the decision, describing the delay as “a step in the right direction.” The group called for additional discussions on restoring Palestinian institutions before elections are held.
The last Palestinian legislative election took place in 2006, when Hamas secured a majority of seats. Israel and Western governments later boycotted the Hamas-led administration, contributing to tensions that culminated in Hamas seizing control of Gaza in 2007.
Hamas has governed Gaza ever since, while Abbas’ Fatah-led Palestinian Authority has retained control over parts of the West Bank.
The election delay also threatened to create fresh pressure on Abbas. Before the postponement, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a faction led by Mohammed Dahlan—an ex-Fatah security chief who later broke with Abbas—had been exploring an improbable political alliance.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas chairs a leadership meeting in Ramallah, West Bank, on April 23, 2025. (Reuters/Mohammed Torokman)
“Abbas is terrified by the electoral alliance bringing our faction together with opposition factions and forces within Fatah that reject his leadership,” Dimitri Dilliani, a spokesperson for Dahlan’s faction, said in a statement.
The announcement comes as uncertainty continues over the Palestinian Authority’s potential role in Gaza under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached last year.
The agreement envisions the Palestinian Authority eventually taking part in governing Gaza, but its immediate duties have yet to be defined. Hamas remains in control of the territory, while a committee of Palestinian technocrats is waiting in Cairo for authorization to enter Gaza and manage a transfer of power.
