Palestinians cast ballots in first elections in 20 years

GAZA — Thousands of Palestinians voted on Saturday in the first municipal elections held in Gaza in 20 years, though the process was limited to the city of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the enclave, alongside local elections across the West Bank.

Polling stations opened at 7 am, with voting continuing until 5 pm in Deir al-Balah and until 7 pm in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Central Elections Commission.

The commission said around 1.3 million voters are eligible across the Palestinian territories, including about 70,000 in Deir al-Balah.