Jordan holds parliamentary elections today, with anger over Israel’s offensive in Gaza and concerns over lagging tourism leaving voters disgruntled, AFP reports.

The vote is the first since a reform was passed in 2022 that increased the number of seats in the house, reserving a higher number for women and lowering the minimum age for candidates.

Despite the reform, which was a bid to modernise the kingdom’s parliament, voters and candidates have both told AFP the conflict in Gaza is the main issue in Tuesday’s election.

Candidates seeking to capitalise on anger over Gaza were however unlikely to score major gains, said analysts who believe the conflict may push abstention rates higher.

Jordan became in 1994 the second Arab state after Egypt to sign a peace treaty with Israel. But around half of its population is of Palestinian origin, and there have been regular protests calling for the cancellation of the peace treaty since the conflict erupted in Gaza.