The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) decided to postpone municipal elections in 27 districts in the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank that are located in areas due to be evacuated by Israel, a senior Palestinian official said yesterday.

Jamal Al-Shobaki, chief of the highest committee of the municipal elections, told reporters that the decision of postponing the elections in the districts came after talks with the Palestinian cabinet.
 
He said that the elections were originally slated for September 29, adding these areas have been under closure since Monday and Palestinian residents are not able to move freely in the areas.

He said the elections in the remaining 105 districts will be held on September 29 as scheduled.

Meanwhile, Palestinian security sources reported that Israeli forces stormed yesterday two Palestinian villages in the Gaza Strip.

They said that an Israeli troop backed by bulldozers and armored vehicles went out from the empty Dogit settlement in northern Gaza Strip and moved into the Palestinian village of al-Attatra near the town of Beit Lahia.

Witnesses said that Israeli soldiers besieged the home of Musataf Zendah, a Palestinian farmer, and forced him and his family to evacuate the house.

Another Israeli army force stormed the small village of Wadi el-Salqa east of the central Gaza Strip town of Deir el-Ballah.

Head of the village, Abdel Hadi Abu Maghaseeb, told reporters that dozens of Israeli soldiers in jeeps moved 500 meters into the village and searched several houses. The Israeli army incursion came as it is preparing to start removing the settlers by force from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip today.

(China Daily August 17, 2005)