Mahmoud Abbas postpones Palestinian elections to September 2027

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections scheduled for November until September 11, 2027, according to DW, France 24, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, and Euronews. DW, France 24, and Al Jazeera reported that Abbas issued a presidential decree combining the legislative vote with a presidential election on the same day. [1][2][3][4][6][7]

DW reported that Abbas issued the decree on Friday, while France 24, South China Morning Post, and Al Jazeera reported that official Palestinian news agency Wafa announced the decree on Saturday. DW, France 24, and South China Morning Post reported that Abbas blamed obstacles caused by Israeli measures and the security situation in the Palestinian territories for the delay. [1][2][3][4][6]

According to Euronews, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Abbas on Friday of fooling the international community by once again canceling promised elections. CBS News and DW noted that the vote would be the first Palestinian election in around 20 years, as CBS News reported that Palestinians last held a legislative election in 2006 when Hamas won a majority of seats. [1][4][5][7]

Abbas previously scheduled the legislative elections for November 28, 2026. Prior to that, elections were scheduled for May 22, 2021, but Abbas postponed them in April 2021. [1][6][11]