As Israel approaches its upcoming elections, Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for a result they fear will further determine their precarious future amid ongoing humanitarian crisis and conflict. The territory, heavily damaged by recent Israeli military operations, remains home to nearly one million displaced Palestinians facing severe shortages of water, sanitation, and essential supplies, compounded by the persistent threat of further Israeli strikes.
Despite Gaza's dire situation, the issue has been largely absent from the Israeli election campaigns. Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party have concentrated their platforms on the stated objective of dismantling Hamas following the devastating attacks on Israel on October 7. The resulting trauma within Israeli society and calls for security dominate political discourse, leaving little room for addressing the acute humanitarian toll across the border.
Sami Abu Rumi, a 47-year-old displaced resident of Rafah now living in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, expressed cautious hope for a government less inclined towards violence but remained skeptical about any meaningful change. “Ultimately, we see the thinking of Israeli governments as largely similar,” he said, noting that both Netanyahu and Eisenkot advocate ending Hamas’s control over Gaza and align with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s contentious peace plan.
Eisenkot, a former military chief and prominent figure in the opposition, has pledged to restore Israel’s international standing after years of conflict. However, his military record, including his support for the “Dahiya doctrine”—which endorses overwhelming force in civilian areas believed to harbor militants—draws criticism. This doctrine is widely associated with the extensive destruction seen in Gaza, which some argue constitutes war crimes.
Abu Rumi criticized the use of Gaza’s suffering as leverage in the election, highlighting the daily challenges faced by Palestinian families: “With homes and infrastructure destroyed, simply surviving has become a daily struggle,” he said. His comments echo a broader sentiment among Gaza residents who see little prospect for substantive change regardless of election outcomes.
Earlier this week, the Arab-led Joint List party in Israel released a brief election video featuring drone footage of Gaza’s devastation. The video condemns the normalization of violence and destruction inflicted on Palestinian civilians and contrasts the party’s promise not to remain silent with other parties’ calls for further military action. While the prospect of Arab parties joining an Eisenkot-led coalition remains unlikely, they could provide outside support, though Palestinians in Gaza remain skeptical of political shifts in Israel.
Haneen Hamdouna, 45, also displaced within Gaza, voiced cynicism about the election process: “Whether it is Netanyahu, Eisenkot or someone else, attacking Gaza seems to have become part of Israeli election campaigning,” she said. “For years, we have hoped for improvement, only to be disappointed.”
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly. Commercial deliveries have reportedly been halted for about a week, causing a spike in prices and shortages in essential goods. Flour prices have more than tripled, while diminishing humanitarian aid is pushing families closer to another food crisis. Many residents are focused on the immediate struggle for survival, with little capacity to follow the unfolding Israeli political debate that will likely continue to shape their lives.