Gaza’s Deir el-Balah votes in first municipal election in over two decades

Deir el-Balah in central Gaza held its first municipal elections since 2006, with about 70,000 eligible voters casting ballots in tents as much of the city’s infrastructure remains damaged by war. Residents welcomed the vote as a chance for peaceful, non‑partisan change and practical improvements for displaced families and basic services, despite severe logistical hurdles like shortages of ballot materials and ink and the ongoing impact of conflict on daily life.