Key facts
- Palestinians in Gaza fear the outcome of the Israeli election will worsen their suffering.
- Nearly a million displaced Palestinians in Gaza face dire sanitary conditions and water shortages.
- Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot have vowed to end Hamas rule but lack clear plans for Gaza's future.
- Gadi Eisenkot previously championed the "Dahiya doctrine" advocating overwhelming force against civilian areas.
- Commercial deliveries to Gaza have been suspended for about a week, increasing prices for essentials.
- More than 20,000 Palestinian children have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Palestinians in Gaza are expressing deep pessimism about the upcoming Israeli election, fearing that the outcome will not bring relief from the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis. With much of the territory reduced to rubble and nearly 75,000 people killed, residents like Sami Abu Rumi and Haneen Hamdouna believe Israeli governments hold similar views on Gaza, regardless of who is in power.
Both leading candidates, Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot, have vowed to dismantle Hamas but have not presented clear plans for Gaza's future. Eisenkot, a former military chief, is associated with the "Dahiya doctrine," which advocates overwhelming force against civilian areas, a strategy critics say has led to widespread destruction in Gaza.
The Arab-led Joint List party has highlighted Gaza's devastation in an election video, contrasting their message of life with the other parties' focus on destruction. However, the chances of Arab parties joining a coalition are slim. Many Palestinians feel their suffering is being used as political leverage, with little genuine concern for their well-being. The suspension of commercial deliveries has exacerbated fears of hunger, with prices for essentials like flour more than tripling.