Local elections are being held in the Gaza Strip for the first time since 2007.
Фото: Reuters
Local elections are being held in the Gaza Strip for the first time since Hamas took control in 2007.
Reuters reports this.
The vote is taking place in the city of Deir el-Balah and is seen as a test of political sentiment in the region, as well as a possible step towards resuming the national electoral process.
The Palestinian Authority hopes that even symbolic elections in Gaza will help strengthen its claim to control the territory from which Hamas ousted it nearly two decades ago.
In Deir el-Balah itself, active voter turnout was recorded. One voter, 52-year-old Mamdouh al-Bhaisi, said he was proud of the return of the democratic process after the war.
Western diplomats believe that these elections could be the first step towards holding national elections, which have not been held for almost 20 years, and will also promote reforms in the area of transparency and accountability of government.
According to preliminary estimates, more than a million Palestinians may take part in the elections, including about 70,000 in the Gaza Strip itself.
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