Palestinian Authority postpones elections to September 2025

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for November 28, until at least September 2025. This new date coincides with the planned election for a new Palestinian president.

Abbas cited military restrictions imposed by Israel, the expansion of Jewish settlements, and attacks by armed settlers as formal reasons for the delay. However, critics and international observers note that Abbas, who has ruled by decree since 2009 without a democratic mandate, faces declining support for his Fatah movement due to perceptions of corruption and weakness.

The West Bank and Gaza Strip have not held elections since 2006. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has criticized the lack of democratic and transparent elections. Furthermore, several nations that recognized the State of Palestine, including France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have linked their recognition to the requirement of holding free elections within one year, specifically excluding Hamas from participation—a condition Hamas intends to challenge by seeking to run in the polls.