Palestinian Authority deputy chairman pushes off legislative election by several months - report

The letter claimed that the election could not go ahead on November 28, as originally planned, due to deteriorating conditions throughout the Palestinian territory.

Hussein Al-Sheikh, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Authority, informed France that the legislative election for the Palestinian Authority would be delayed by several months, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

"The assessment concluded that the anticipated political, security, and economic conditions, on which the scheduling of the legislative elections for 28 November 2026 was based, have not materialized," said according to the letter, which was addressed to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and dated October 8.

It added that "holding them under the current circumstances faces fundamental obstacles affecting their inclusiveness, freedom of participation, and the integrity of the electoral process."

Israel allegedly blocks PA elections commission from east Jerusalem, Gaza

On Wednesday, Israel allegedly blocked the Palestinian Central Elections Commission from entering east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip to monitor the November 28 elections, a Palestinian Authority official told the PA’s official WAFA news agency, as European Commission Vice President and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas renewed Europe’s commitment to deploying an election observation mission.

Though the CEC has yet to issue an official statement on the alleged block, CEC spokesperson Farid Taamallah confirmed the report to Agence France-Presse and insisted that the elections could still go ahead.

Taamallah has not yet responded to The Jerusalem Post’s request.