In Gaza, first local vote in years offers gauge of Hamas popularity

Palestinians in one of the only Gaza cities ​not overrun by Israeli ground forces during the war will vote this weekend in municipal elections that will feature some pro-Hamas candidates, offering a rare barometer of the militant group's popularity.

The vote in Deir al-Balah is part of Palestinian Authority municipal elections that Palestinians have cast as a display of national unity against a US plan for Gaza that they believe intends to entrench their ​separation from the occupied ‌West Bank.