Deir al-Balah in Gaza back in the headlines as conflict spikes and displacement\n-city center, capital of Deir al-Balah Governorate, sits 14 km south of Gaza City.
On April 25–26, 2026, municipal elections have been held across 183 West Bank councils and in Gaza's Deir al-Balah. Turnout has reached about 56% in the West Bank but only 23% in Deir al-Balah. The vote has been described as a symbolic pilot to politically link Gaza and the West Bank while displacement, outdated registries and political disillusionment have limited participation.
Israeli airstrikes and shootings have killed multiple Palestinians across Gaza this week, including strikes on refugee camps and apartment blocks in Gaza City, Jabalia and Khan Younis. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have been holding talks in Cairo with Hamas and other factions over a U.S.-backed plan; talks remain deadlocked mainly over disarming Hamas and Israeli withdrawals.