Deir al-Balah, Gaza/Jerusalem —
Gaza held its first elections in more than 20 years on Saturday – but only in one city for a small fraction of the shattered territory’s population – amid a stalled process to advance the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The elections took place in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, one of the areas that suffered the least destruction during nearly two years of Israeli bombardment of the enclave. Held under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority, the municipal elections also took place in the occupied West Bank, amid perceived widespread disillusionment with the ruling Fatah party.
In Gaza, approximately 70,000 voters –…