Gaza Voters Want Jobs Over Politics in November Elections — SkimNews
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- Palestinian Central Elections Commission scheduled legislative elections for November 28, the first in 20 years since the 2006 vote that Hamas won, with about 1.24 million Palestinians in Gaza estimated to be eligible
- Ahmad Mohsen, 24, a nursing graduate who now sells prepaid internet cards after volunteering unpaid at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, said his top priorities are a stable job and security as Gaza's unemployment sits at about 80 percent
- Ghassan Marwan, 53, a goldsmith who voted in 2006 for a list headed by Mustafa Barghouti, lost his home and factory in January 2024 and said he now views elections with 'hope and scepticism' amid widespread destruction
- Jamil al-Khalidi, the commission's regional director in Gaza, said the vote faces logistical and security challenges due to the scale of destruction and mass displacement, and the commission has prepared contingency plans to produce election materials locally if Israel restricts supply entries
- Iyad al-Qarra, a Gaza-based political analyst, argued that political demands have shifted from slogans to candidates' ability to rebuild infrastructure, restore health and education sectors, and allow people to regain their livelihoods
- Mohsen's family owns land east of Gaza's Salah al-Din Street in an area Israel restricts access to, and he is waiting for Israel to withdraw under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement so reconstruction can begin
- Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and destroyed the enclave's economy following years of blockade, with the territory's voters framing any new government as accountable for recovery
Why it matters: The November 28 vote would be the first Palestinian legislative election in 20 years, and the commission's contingency plans signal that even basic logistics—printing ballots, moving supplies—remain unresolved under wartime conditions. For the roughly 1.24 million eligible Gaza voters facing 80 percent unemployment, the ballot is being reframed as a referendum on reconstruction, meaning any winner will be measured in rubble cleared and jobs created rather than political platforms delivered.
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