Israel election: Palestinians in Gaza brace for an outcome that could shape their future
As Israel holds an election in which Gaza has been largely absent from the campaign, Palestinians in the territory say they fear for the future whatever the result. Displaced residents describe worsening hunger, prices and displacement as the vote approaches.
Israel election: Palestinians in Gaza brace for an outcome that could shape their future
As Israelis go to the polls, Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an outcome that could shape their future. The Israel election has barely registered in daily life there: most residents are too busy searching for food and water to follow the campaign, and fears of renewed hunger are mounting as markets run short of fresh produce and other essentials.
A campaign that barely mentions Gaza
Gaza has been largely absent from the election campaign. The contest is instead focused on the goal of destroying Hamas in the wake of the 7 October attacks, pitting Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition against the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party.
Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot has set out a clear plan for Gaza's future; both vow to end Hamas rule and both back Donald Trump's peace plan.
Displaced residents on what the vote means
For displaced Palestinians, the vote offers little reason for hope. Sami Abu Rumi, 47, from Rafah, now displaced in al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, says he still wishes for something better.
"We hope a government will come to power that is less inclined towards killing, displacement and our extermination"
Abu Rumi sees Israeli governments as largely similar, and says Gaza's suffering has become campaign fodder while families struggle to feed their children, keep them in school and access medical care.
Haneen Hamdouna, 45, from Beit Lahia, displaced to al-Mawasi, said she does not believe anyone genuinely cares about Gaza or has its people's interests at heart. Attacking Gaza, she said, seems to have become part of Israeli election campaigning whoever wins. She noted that trucks entering Gaza might rise from 100 to 200, but that would not mean real change.
Noor AlMoghanni, 20, from Gaza City, said promises to address their suffering are words people no longer believe, and that the goal is to destroy Gaza.
"Whether Netanyahu wins or loses, the reality here will not change."
Weddings postponed and hunger rising
The election reaches into the smallest decisions of daily life. Karim Mareesh, 43, said a friend postponed his son's wedding until after the vote, fearing a far-right victory would resume the war and force him to flee again.
Daily conditions are already deteriorating. Commercial deliveries to Gaza have been suspended for about a week, driving up prices, and flour now costs more than three times its previous price.
The scale behind the silence
What the campaign overlooks is measured in lives and living conditions:
- Nearly 75,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and much of the territory has been reduced to rubble.
- More than 20,000 Palestinian children have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to the report.
- Nearly a million displaced Palestinians face dire sanitary conditions, water shortages and the constant threat of Israeli strikes.
The Arab-led Joint List has tried to put Gaza on the agenda, airing a 48-second election video earlier this week showing drone footage of the territory's ruins. Its voiceover said parties behave as if everything that has happened is completely normal, as if tens of thousands were not killed and entire cities not destroyed.
The party vows it will not be silent, saying other parties want more destruction while it offers life. Its room to act, however, is narrow: the chances of Arab parties joining an Eisenkot-led coalition are slim to none, though they could support from outside government.
Some in Gaza will follow the result closely. For most, though, the campaign matters less than the search for food and water, with fears of renewed hunger growing as markets run short.
