Planning & International Cooperation Bureau Values Call for Local Elections and Urge International Community to Ensure Their Success

Aug 15, 2023

The Planning and International Cooperation Bureau commends the call issued by Palestinian factions on Monday, August 14, 2023, to hold local elections in the Gaza Strip, following a consultative meeting involving various national forces.

We view this call positively and see it as a necessary step towards restoring popular representation, renewing legitimacy, reviving the democratic process, and an important prelude to holding general elections. Additionally, it presents an opportunity to bring to the local municipalities new blood and young leaders capable of driving the change.

Local municipalities have suffered from marginalization for years, despite their service-oriented nature. This is a consequence of the policies of blockade and restriction imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2005, adversely impacting these bodies’ ability to fulfill citizens’ needs, achieve development, and promote stability.

Therefore, we appeal to the international community, particularly the European Union and the United Nations, to exert all possible efforts to ensure the success of these elections and positively engage with their outcomes, which express the will of the Palestinian people. This engagement will empower local municipalities to fulfill their humanitarian and service roles.

Planning & International Cooperation Bureau

  Gaza – Palestine