Gaza Municipal Election Reflects Palestinians' Resolve To Preserve Statehood

PETALING JAYA, April 23 (Bernama) -- The municipal election that will take place this Saturday in Deir Al Balah, Gaza Strip, is an important step to structuralise the presence of Palestinians in their own country despite Israeli aggressions, said a member of  Hamas political bureau, Dr Basem Naim.

“Municipality election usually is not a big issue in any country but in this case, it reflects the will of the Palestinians to strengthen or to preserve the political and legal system of the Palestinian existence on the ground,” he told reporters after a special briefing jointly organised by the Palestinian Cultural Organisation Malaysia (PCOM), IAIS Malaysia, MAHAR and Ops Ihsan, here on Thursday.

He said the election underscores Palestinians’ resolve to preserve statehood. 

Saturday’s election, the first of any kind to be held in Gaza in two decades, will be held alongside the municipal elections in West Bank. 

According to reports, 70,449 registered voters will be eligible to vote across 12 makeshift polling centres comprising open areas fitted with tents, as many schools continue to serve as shelters for displaced residents.

To a question on the 40-day closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque recently, Naim said the response from the international community had been largely limited to condemnation without further concrete action.

“Based on past patterns, Israel observes the reaction to its actions. If there is no meaningful response from countries or the public, it proceeds to the next step,” he said.

The Gaza Media Office said Israeli forces have committed 2,400 violations since the agreement, including killings, arrests, blockades and starvation measures.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the violations have resulted in the deaths of 777 Palestinians and injuries to 2,193 as of Monday.

The ceasefire followed two years of Israel’s genocidal war that began in October 2023, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 172,000, while destroying 90 per cent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, according to official figures.

-- BERNAMA