Israel Delays Municipal Vote in Evacuated Areas Near Lebanon

Municipal elections in Israeli regions close to the Lebanese and Gaza borders are set to be delayed from February 27 to November 19, following a parliamentary committee’s recommendation on Tuesday.

The Knesset’s internal affairs committee has backed the interior minister’s suggestion to push back the voting date to November 19, 2024, for nine areas previously evacuated as per government orders. This endorsement from the committee is poised for swift ratification by the full parliament.

This decision comes in the wake of the displacement of nearly 150,000 Israelis from their homes following the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel. This figure includes about 80,000 individuals from northern Israel, affected by ongoing hostilities with Hezbollah across the Lebanese border, and 60,000 from regions near Gaza, directly targeted by Hamas.

While these specific areas will see a delay, elections in the rest of Israel, including the occupied West Bank and the Golan Heights, will proceed as planned on February 27.

The elections have already been postponed twice from their initially scheduled date of October 31.