Palestinians Vote Amid Frustration, Settler Attacks

0:00On April 25th, Palestinians in the West Bank and Central Gaza are voting today in local elections. The first since the Gaza War began, 1,500,000 people registered in the West Bank, plus 70,000 in Gaza's Dare-El-Bala area. Turnout stayed low this morning at about 15%. Most lists back, President Mahmoud Abbas's Fata Party or run independence. No Hamas candidates since they hold nearly half of Gaza. Fata drives the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank under tense ties with Israel. Voters faced deep frustration with the Authority, plus non-stop settler attacks. Just Tuesday, two Palestinians died, including a 14-year-old boy, when settlers fired near a school and al-Mugayir village. The war started back in October 2023, fueling widespread discontent. Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Steve Woodcoff and Jared Kushner head to Pakistan for indirect talks with Iran, mediated amid a cease-fire extended three weeks. Iran's foreign minister arrived there too, eyes on regional issues,

1:04and hormones straight-dimining. Flights resumed from Tehran to spots like Istanbul, but Iran hanged the man today, accused of spying for Israel. Strikes hit his bolasites in 7-11on from Israel, as economic pressures mount with sanctions on a Chinese refinery, buying Iranian oil. These moves signal fragile steps toward calm in a region still on edge.