Palestine - June 2026

In June, Mahmoud Abbas issued reforms paving the way for elections to Palestine's two legislative bodies, the Palestinian National Council (PNC) and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). On 4 June, he approved a new electoral system for the PNC, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s legislature, cutting its membership from 747 to 350 seats and introducing its first direct elections. It replaces the appointment-based quota system used since 1964. Of the 350 seats, 150 are due to be elected by the diaspora, though diaspora voting remains uncertain. The remaining 200 territorial seats will be filled automatically by the winners of the elections to the PLC, the legislature of the Palestinian Authority. Under separate amendments issued by Abbas on 14 June, the PLC is to be expanded from 132 to 200 seats, the age of candidacy lowered from 28 to 23, and the electoral threshold cut from 2 to 1 per cent. The PNC vote is set for 1 November, the PLC vote for 28 November.

Sources: WAFA News Agency (1), WAFA News Agency (2), +972 Mag, WAFA News Agency (3), WAFA News Agency (4), The New Arab