RAMALLAH, October 10, 2026 (WAFA) — The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday approved postponing the legislative elections scheduled for November 28, 2026, to September 2027, to be held simultaneously with presidential elections.
In a statement issued following its meeting, the committee said conditions expected to be in place when the elections were announced several months ago had changed fundamentally, despite the successful completion of elections for unions, federations and local councils.
The committee cited the failure to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, the absence of international stabilization forces and Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip, the continued presence of Israeli occupation forces, ongoing Israeli attacks and insecurity, and restrictions preventing the Central Elections Commission and local and international observers from entering Gaza.
These conditions, it said, prevent the establishment of an appropriate environment for elections and undermine guarantees for the safety of voters, candidates and electoral workers.
The committee also pointed to catastrophic conditions in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where attacks by armed colonists include burning homes, uprooting olive trees and stealing agricultural produce and livestock under the protection of Israeli forces.
It further cited continued settlement expansion, land seizures, home demolitions and attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly in Jerusalem and Hebron, as well as checkpoints, movement restrictions and measures that undermine the Palestinian economy. Israel's withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues, which the committee said had approached $7 billion, was also identified as a major obstacle.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to holding elections and renewing the democratic legitimacy of Palestinian national institutions, describing this as both a right of the Palestinian people and a national obligation.
It stressed that changing the election date aims to establish the conditions necessary for successful polls, ensure the safe and fair participation of Palestinians throughout the State of Palestine under international observation, remove Israeli-imposed obstacles and preserve the unity of Palestinian land, people and institutions.
The committee emphasized that occupied East Jerusalem is an integral part of the State of Palestine and its capital, adding that the right of Jerusalem residents to run for office and vote is an essential component of any comprehensive Palestinian electoral process. It called on the international community to pressure Israel to remove restrictions on participation in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
During the meeting, the committee also reviewed the latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the ongoing Israeli attacks and threats to Palestinian national rights, land and holy sites.
It discussed the outcomes of meetings among Palestinian factions in Cairo, describing them as preparatory steps toward comprehensive national dialogue.
The committee praised Egypt's continued support for the Palestinian people, their just cause and their aspiration for an independent, sovereign state under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. It also commended Egypt's role in hosting and facilitating Palestinian national dialogue.
The Cairo meetings had called for postponing the legislative elections scheduled for November 28, 2026, until next year to allow time for comprehensive national dialogue and efforts to remove Israeli obstacles to holding free, safe, fair and inclusive elections in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
The committee reaffirmed President Mahmoud Abbas's directives to seek international protection for the Palestinian people, calling on the United Nations, the Security Council and governments worldwide to fulfill their responsibilities and take effective practical measures to protect Palestinian civilians, halt crimes against them and end impunity.
It concluded by reiterating that security, stability and peace require ending the Israeli occupation and realizing an independent State of Palestine along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, while safeguarding the Palestinian people's inalienable national rights.
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