As Palestinian Elections Approach, Gaza Voters Prioritize Jobs and Security

The Palestinian Central Elections Commission is preparing for national legislative elections scheduled for November 28, marking the first national vote since 2006. In Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, 24-year-old Ahmad Mohsen navigates a reality vastly different from the future he envisioned three years ago. A nursing graduate who volunteered at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital during the early months of the war, Mohsen eventually sought paid work due to a lack of compensation. With unemployment in Gaza sitting at about 80 percent, Mohsen hopes the upcoming election will lead candidates to address vital issues such as stable jobs, security, housing, education, and healthcare.

Mohsen's family owns land east of Gaza’s Salah al-Din Street that remains restricted by Israel, leaving him unable to reach it. He hopes the October 2025 ceasefire agreement will prompt an Israeli withdrawal and allow reconstruction to begin in the devastated territory. Emphasizing the need for genuine material improvement, Mohsen stated that candidates must speak for the young people who have suffered through two decades of conflict.

Unlike Mohsen, 53-year-old Ghassan Marwan remembers participating in the 2006 elections won by Hamas. Previously a goldsmith with a family factory, Marwan lost both his home and his business in January 2024 during the war. Now facing the daily struggle of carrying water over long distances and living among tents, Marwan expresses frustration and skepticism regarding the feasibility of elections amid widespread displacement and destruction. He notes that public interest in politics has declined as residents become consumed by the daily search for survival and basic necessities.

The Palestinian Central Elections Commission faces significant logistical and security challenges in organizing the vote across the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem, and Gaza, where approximately 1.24 million Palestinians are eligible to participate. According to Jamil al-Khalidi, the commission’s regional director in Gaza, contingency plans are in place to produce election materials locally if supply entries are restricted by Israel.

Gaza-based political analyst and writer Iyad al-Qarra observes that while the war has not erased political interest, it has shifted public expectations. Palestinians in Gaza now demand leadership capable of restoring normalcy, rebuilding infrastructure, reviving health and education sectors, and prioritizing the overall recovery of the Strip after paying such a heavy price.