Palestinian elections postponed to September 2027 have drawn a joint appeal from the foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France and the United Kingdom. They urged the Palestinian Authority (PA) to reverse the decision and hold the vote sooner. The joint statement was issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, three days after the delay was announced.
On Saturday, October 10, PA President Mahmoud Abbas moved legislative elections from November 28, 2026 to September 11, 2027. He set the presidential election for the same date, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA as reported by Reuters. Abbas has governed by decree since his term expired in 2009.
Palestinian elections postponed: what the four governments said
The ministers said they “deeply regret” the delay. They noted that nearly two decades have passed since the last Palestinian Legislative Council elections, and that five years have passed since the vote planned for 2021 was postponed. In their view, the new delay deprives Palestinians of a chance to vote and weakens confidence in democratic institutions.
The statement also acknowledged significant challenges to holding elections that meet international standards. It praised the Palestinian Central Elections Commission for working on practical arrangements to help people vote. According to the CBC, it also repeated that Hamas can have no role in future Palestinian governance.
Why Abbas says the elections were postponed
Abbas’s decree cited obstacles created by Israeli measures. It also pointed to the need for suitable political, security and on-the-ground conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections, WAFA reported. The PA said earlier in the week that Israel had refused to let Palestinian election officials into East Jerusalem or Gaza.
Israel typically bars the PA from holding elections in East Jerusalem, which it captured in 1967 and later annexed, a step most countries do not recognise. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, rejected Abbas’s explanation and said it was an attempt to avoid accountability. These are competing claims, and HCN has not independently verified either account.
Reuters reported, citing two Palestinian officials, that Fatah and Hamas leaders agreed at a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, October 7, to postpone the elections. The decree followed consultations with Palestinian factions. Both groups have long been political rivals, so the reported agreement is notable.
A long gap between Palestinian votes
Abbas was elected president in 2005. The last legislative elections were held in 2006, when Hamas won a majority of seats. Hamas later took control of Gaza, and the Palestinian territories have been politically divided ever since.
The PA did hold municipal elections in April 2026 in parts of the West Bank and in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Deir al-Balah was the only city in the enclave to take part. An August survey by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research found that many Palestinians already expected a delay, according to The National.
Why the joint statement carries diplomatic weight
The four governments recognised a Palestinian state in September 2025, and Palestinian commitments on elections and reform featured in that process. According to JNS, France and Canada referred to pledges to hold elections in 2026. Britain pointed to a commitment to hold elections within a year of a ceasefire, and Australia cited an undertaking to hold elections without naming a date.
Reuters reported that Abbas had committed in writing to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to hold both elections. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has also urged elections as soon as possible. She acknowledged the constraints facing the PA, JNS reported.
In Canada, the statement drew criticism from the other direction. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Ottawa had signalled no consequences for the PA. Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, argued that Canada’s recognition decision had been in vain, according to the Canadian Jewish News.
What happens next for Palestinians
A generation of Palestinians has reached adulthood without voting in a national election, a point the four ministers made directly. The delay means no national vote is expected for at least ten months. None of the four governments has said whether the postponement will affect funding or diplomatic support, so that question remains open.
The next confirmed date is September 11, 2027, set in the decree. The PA has not announced whether it will respond to the call to reconsider. The CBC reported that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office did not immediately say what the delay means for Canada’s recognition of Palestine. Follow more world coverage at Human Crisis News.