Israeli municipal elections near border to be postponed, citing security concerns

Israeli local elections near the border with Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to be postponed to November due to safety concerns

Israeli local elections that were supposed to take place in areas near the border with Lebanon and the Gaza Strip are to take place on Nov.19, instead of Feb. 27, following a recommendation by a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

The Parliament’s internal affairs committee supported the decision, which is in line with the interior minister’s plan, marking a significant delay to the schedule for the elections. Citing safety concerns, the nine places that were ordered to be removed by the government have been ruled unsuitable for early elections.

As nearly 150,000 people left their homes after Hamas attacked Israel in October, the unstable security situation in these areas makes it even more necessary to delay the elections. About 80,000 of those who lived in northern areas had to deal with regular cross-border fighting with Hezbollah, and another 60,000 who lived close to Gaza and were targeted during the Hamas attack have been forced to leave their homes.

The Knesset is likely to agree with the committee’s suggestion soon, which will mark the final decision to move the elections for the affected areas to Nov. 19, 2024, On the other hand, elections are set to happen as planned on Feb. 27, 2024, in the rest of Israel.

Source: AFP