Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why were elections in Palestinian Authority areas delayed after 2007?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Oslo Accords: Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule — Palestinian Authority U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton (center) looking on as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left) shakes hands with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule, September 1993.

Following the 2006 legislative elections, in which Hamas won a majority of seats, a power struggle between Hamas and Fatah led to escalating violence. In June 2007, Hamas took exclusive control of the Gaza Strip, while Mahmoud Abbas maintained control of the West Bank by presidential decree.312

This internal division created a significant barrier to holding unified elections. Although several reconciliation agreements were attempted between 2011 and 2017, they were never fully implemented, leaving the Palestinian territories under split governance.31

Furthermore, when plans to hold elections were announced in 2021, they were indefinitely delayed by President Abbas. The primary reason cited for this cancellation was the concern that Israel would prevent voting from taking place in East Jerusalem, a justification that had been used to delay or cancel elections in the past.31