Deir el-Balah, Gaza \u2013<\/strong> Early this morning, Salama Badwan, his wife and daughter headed to a polling station in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, to participate in the municipal elections, which are taking place for the first time since 2006.<\/p>\n The 43-year-old said he was delighted to be casting a vote after such a long absence, and overjoyed that his daughter, who recently turned 18, could vote for the first time in her life.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n The vote is also the first since a \u201cceasefire\u201d took effect in Israel\u2019s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The war has affected all aspects of life, including the electoral process itself. With many of Deir el-Balah\u2019s buildings damaged or destroyed during the war, polling stations have been set up in temporary fibreglass tents on open land.<\/p>\n \u201cI am very happy today, because this is a truly Palestinian democratic celebration. Many generations have been deprived of it for more than 21 years, and today my daughter is voting for the first time,\u201d Badwan told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n For him, the importance of the elections is providing Palestinians in Gaza with a chance to achieve change through peaceful and democratic means.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must change everything through the ballot box \u2026 whoever wins, it is their right, but not through inheritance \u2026 change must be in the hands of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n But despite this enthusiasm, the reality in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, remains complex amid the ongoing \u201cceasefire\u201d.<\/p>\n The city, which Badwan describes as \u201calways calm,\u201d has become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced people from across Gaza, putting unprecedented pressure on its infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city received large numbers of displaced people, each coming with different ideas, circumstances, and harsh suffering \u2026 This created enormous pressure on water networks, sewage systems, and waste management, and exhausted the previous municipality.\u201d<\/p>\n Deir el-Balah was given the opportunity to hold elections because its infrastructure was less damaged than that of other cities in Gaza during the war.<\/p>\n Badwan places his hopes on a new municipal council capable of handling the scale of the crisis left by the war, away from the political divisions that have swept the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Fatah, the two main rival factions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want a very strong municipal team that does not belong to any faction \u2026 one that can secure support from donor countries and meet people\u2019s needs, because today Deir el-Balah is hosting all.\u201d<\/p>\n On the street, he describes the atmosphere of the elections as \u201cpositive and enjoyable\u201d, despite general frustration with the political class.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are fed up with politicians and unfulfilled promises,\u201d he says, adding that he encouraged those around him to participate in the elections in the hope of creating change.<\/p>\n \u201cI told my friends and children we must go and vote \u2026 we cannot just sit at home and wait for change.\u201d<\/p>\n Standing beside her father, Dunia, Salama\u2019s 18-year-old daughter, did not hide her joy at casting a vote, despite the exceptional circumstances surrounding her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very happy that I can vote in my country and my city, Deir el-Balah \u2026 and that I, like others in my generation, can finally participate and have a voice,\u201d said Dunia, a first-year nursing student at Al-Aqsa University.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I had never voted before and didn\u2019t have a clear idea \u2026 but when the elections came, my father explained how things work and how our voices could help change the difficult reality we live in, even a little,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Like many of her peers, Dunia\u2019s motivations are practical and directly tied to daily life, which has sharply deteriorated since Israel launched the war in October 2023. She chose a candidate list composed mostly of young people, describing them as \u201ccapable and experienced in their work,\u201d reflecting her hope for a more efficient municipal administration.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality the city is living after displacement is far from stable\u2026 the situation is tragic, especially cleanliness, public streets, healthcare, and even education \u2026 everything is in very bad condition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope these elections help create a situation where students return to schools, and new housing alternatives and camps are provided for displaced people instead of using schools,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want things to go back to how they were \u2026 schools should return to students instead of being shelters, hospitals should improve, and streets should be cleaned,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n For Awda Abdel Karim Abu Baraka, 73, the elections represent an opportunity to choose those capable of \u201creviving society and institutions that have been stalled for years\u201d.<\/p>\n He believes that the local elections could carry broader significance beyond Deir el-Balah. \u201cThey are part of a larger system \u2026 the West Bank and Gaza,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n \u201cHolding elections today in Deir el-Balah shows the world that we are a democratic people, and we choose our representatives without imposition,\u201d he adds, expressing hope that \u201cthe international community will support this path.\u201d<\/p>\n He also stressed the need for the winners of the vote to respect the city\u2019s residents who have suffered for years amid Israel\u2019s war. \u201cThere must be real programmes, not high slogans that later fall \u2026 the citizens must be respected, and their dignity and humanity \u2013 violated by war \u2013 must be restored.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite recognising the scale of challenges, he remains committed to gradual change. \u201cWe know the challenges are big and that change takes time \u2026 a long journey begins with a single step, and hopefully, this is the first step on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Mohammad Abu Nada, coordinator of the Deir el-Balah electoral district, moved between voters and staff inside tents set up in place of school polling stations, describing an electoral process that was \u201cborn out of nothing\u201d.<\/p>\n He recalls greeting the initial announcement of the elections by the Central Elections Commission in the West Bank with a mix of surprise and a sense of responsibility.<\/p>\n \u201cAt first, the news was unexpected \u2026 there was joy that we were returning to work after two and a half years of suffering under war, but at the same time, there was a strong sense of responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n That feeling quickly collided with the complex logistical reality in a city suffering from widespread destruction and severe shortages of resources.<\/p>\n \u201cCapabilities are extremely limited \u2026 even this place was just empty land. We relied on tents from international organisations to use as polling stations,\u201d he says, noting that most schools have been turned into shelters for displaced people.<\/p>\n Despite these challenges, polling centres were set up across the city, in a task he describes as far from easy.<\/p>\n The difficulties did not stop there. Essential electoral materials, usually transported from Ramallah, were prevented from entering Gaza.<\/p>\n Abu Nada explains the challenges in securing logistical items such as ballot boxes, stamps, papers, and campaign materials.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to rely on our local capabilities \u2026 ballot boxes were designed and manufactured here in Deir el-Balah, and they served the purpose fully.\u201d<\/p>\n Even electoral ink was unavailable after being denied entry by Israeli authorities. \u201cWe used ink previously used by the World Health Organization during vaccination campaigns \u2026 we tested it, and it stays on the finger for days and worked well,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n Amid shortages and soaring prices \u2013 \u201cmultiplied 10 times\u201d \u2013 work continued intensively.<\/p>\n \u201cWe worked day and night \u2026 everything was difficult, from papers to stamps, but in the end we managed,\u201d he says, noting that approximately 70,000 voters are eligible in the city.<\/p>\n While turnout appeared to be limited in the early morning, it picked up later in the day, Abu Nada said, attributing the slow start to people\u2019s focus on meeting basic needs.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are standing in lines for water and bread \u2026 but we expect turnout to increase.\u201d<\/p>\n The choice of Deir el-Balah for holding elections was not random, but due to its relatively better conditions compared to other areas.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is impossible to hold elections in completely destroyed areas like northern Gaza or Khan Younis \u2026 so the decision was to start in an area with minimal capacity, hoping to expand later.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the challenges facing the upcoming municipal council remain significant.<\/p>\n \u201cDeir el-Balah today is not what it was before the war \u2026 population pressure is huge, and expectations from the new municipality are high,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n As for the campaign, Abu Nada explains it was conducted in record time and with intense efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe worked like a beehive \u2026 organised more than 20 awareness workshops, worked with local institutions and influencers, and distributed posters and materials explaining how to vote and encouraging participation.\u201d<\/p>\n At the end of his remarks, he expresses a sense of achievement despite the difficulties.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, in front of everyone, we are exercising our electoral right despite all conditions \u2026 and that in itself is a success,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd hopefully, this is the first step on a longer road.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Deir el-Balah, Gaza \u2013 Early this morning, Salama Badwan, his wife and daughter headed to a polling station in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, to participate in the municipal elections, which are taking place for the first time since 2006. The 43-year-old said he was delighted to be casting a vote after such a long absence, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n
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