Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Saturday postponing legislative elections originally scheduled for November 28, 2026, and setting both legislative and presidential elections for September 11, 2027.

The move marks another delay in what would have been the first major Palestinian elections in nearly two decades. Abbas, who is 90, has ruled by decree since his last election in 2005. The last legislative vote occurred in 2006 and resulted in a Hamas victory.

Abbas's office cited Israeli restrictions, settlement expansion, settler violence, movement limits in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the withholding of tax revenues as reasons for the postponement. The decree also referenced poor security conditions in Gaza following the three-year war with Hamas and the need for suitable conditions for free and fair elections.

The Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee endorsed the decision after consultations with factions. Hamas welcomed the delay, stating that necessary political and security conditions were not in place and calling for national dialogue.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected the accusations, describing Abbas as a corrupt dictator who has avoided elections for over twenty years. Sa'ar called the claims a ridiculous lie intended to evade responsibility.

Western allies, including France and Canada, had pressed for reforms and the vote. The postponement risks further eroding the Palestinian Authority's credibility among Palestinians and donor nations.

Critics have long viewed the Authority as corrupt and ineffective, with many Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza blaming entrenched leaders for ongoing divisions. The decision comes despite earlier commitments by Abbas to hold elections as part of international reform efforts.