More than 20 years after winning a mandate that was meant to last four years, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has delayed elections yet again, extending voters’ nearly two-decade wait to select a new legislature.
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 also set for that date, despite the fact that Palestinians have not voted in a presidential contest since Abbas won in 2005.
The postponement allows Palestinian leaders to remain in office without seeking a fresh mandate and risks further weakening confidence in the Palestinian Authority, which has faced persistent criticism over corruption and its security coordination with Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends the inauguration of the Innovation and Excellence Compound in Ramallah, in the West Bank, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
The Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by Abbas’ Fatah party, administers parts of the West Bank under agreements reached during the 1990s.
Palestinian officials pointed to conditions in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in explaining the delay. The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, led by Abbas, alleged that Israel had prevented election materials and international observers from entering Gaza, according to The Associated Press.
An Israeli army vehicle patrols near the border with the northern Gaza Strip, 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 attempting to deflect 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” and calling for additional discussions on rebuilding Palestinian institutions before any vote takes place.
The last Palestinian legislative elections took place in 2006, when Hamas captured a majority of seats. Israel and Western governments later boycotted the Hamas-led administration, contributing to unrest 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 avoided an immediate test of Abbas’ leadership. Before the postponement, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a faction headed by Mohammed Dahlan — a former Fatah security chief who later broke with Abbas — had been exploring an unlikely political alliance.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas leads a 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 questions persist over the Palestinian Authority’s potential role in Gaza under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan reached last year.
The plan envisions the authority eventually assuming responsibilities in Gaza, but the scope and timing of that role remain uncertain. Hamas still controls the territory, while a committee of Palestinian technocrats is waiting in Cairo for permission to enter Gaza and supervise a transfer of power.