Press Release

With the participation of a broad coalition of civil society organizations

Palestinian NGOs Network Launches Civil Campaign to Monitor Deir al-Balah Municipal Elections

The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) announces the launch of the "Civil Campaign to Monitor the Deir al-Balah Municipal Elections," following the announcement by the Central Elections Commission of the polling date set for April 25, 2026.

This electoral process comes in response to widespread demands from the residents of the Gaza Strip and its civil society institutions, and against the backdrop of exceptional circumstances imposed by the genocide war. This step represents a defiant act of will by a people determined to reclaim their right to life, democracy, and the management of their local affairs.

PNGO has formed a coalition comprising a large number of Palestinian civil society organizations, particularly those active in Deir al-Balah. The task of managing the campaign has been entrusted to Mr. Samir Zaqout, Deputy Director of the Al-Mezan for Human Rights, along with a committee of human rights organizations that are members of the Network, to ensure the highest standards of professionalism. The campaign has effectively begun with a series of coordination meetings with the Central Elections Commission (Deir al-Balah office), followed by intensive training for institutional representatives on the mechanisms for monitoring electoral campaigning, which commenced on April 10, 2026.

The campaign is continuing its field preparations to recruit and train observers who will cover polling day, alongside awareness-raising meetings with voters on the importance of participating in the elections and the procedures prescribed by law for various stages of the electoral process.

In this context, PNGO calls upon the Palestinian government to complete the conduct of local elections across all municipalities in the Gaza Strip as future conditions permit. It stresses the urgent necessity and objective need to activate the role of elected municipal councils in war recovery efforts, reconstruction, revitalizing the daily life of the population amidst the immense destruction of infrastructure, and the deteriorating economic and social conditions.

PNGO calls on all electoral lists and candidates in the Deir al-Balah elections to fully comply with the law and electoral regulations. It expresses concern over the campaign’s monitoring of several violations and breaches of electoral campaigning regulations since their outset, emphasizing the need to maintain an atmosphere of fair competition.

Based on the commencement of monitoring activities, the Civil Campaign calls for:

• The Central Elections Commission to apply legal procedures against any list that exceeds electoral controls during the campaigning and polling phases, and to ensure a safe and smooth environment enabling voters to reach polling centers.

• Competing electoral lists and candidates to respect the ethical and national charter of honor, adhere to the provisions of the electoral law, prioritize the supreme interest of Deir al-Balah, and refrain from incitement, racism, hatred, or discrimination in electoral discourse.

• The international community and UN institutions to assist in providing election supplies such as indelible ink, ballot boxes, printed materials, and stationery, as well as to provide the necessary protection for the electoral process and ensure that Israeli occupation forces do not obstruct the ongoing elections.

• Voters to participate widely and actively on polling day, considering the elections as a means to correct the course of service provision and a tool to strengthen popular will in the face of policies of marginalization and destruction.

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