Local Elections (2017)

The 2017 municipal elections were held exclusively in the West Bank, without Gaza and East Jerusalem. The elections saw low participation (53.9%) and a shift away from factional politics. They were boycotted by Palestinian factions such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Fatah-aligned supporters of Mohammed Dahlan.

Hamas opposed the elections after the Abbas-backed Constitutional Court ruled that the Hamas-backed court system in Gaza did not have jurisdiction to rule on electoral matters – a crucial element in ensuring Hamas buy-in. The decision prompted accusations by Hamas that Abbas had ignored agreements reached by Palestinian factions in Beirut in January 2017.