Gaza ruin becomes Israeli election fodder as crises deepen

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has released an AI-generated campaign video depicting the Gaza Strip completely destroyed by 2030, as hardline rhetoric toward Palestinians intensifies ahead of Tuesday's Knesset elections and humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave deteriorate across multiple fronts.

Campaign rhetoric amid collapse

The far-right Jewish Power party leader released the video last week showing the enclave reduced to rubble within five years, part of a broader trend of extremist messaging ahead of Tuesday's vote. Four concurrent emergencies have gripped the territory, including the suspension of food aid to roughly 500,000 people, critical fuel shortages threatening hospital operations, the westward expansion of Israeli-controlled zones marked by the "Yellow Line," and a sharp increase in Palestinian fatalities from Israeli gunfire and bombardment.

These conditions persist even as a ceasefire agreement has technically been in force since October 10, with Israeli forces continuing to restrict supply convoys, open fire on civilians, and conduct air strikes across the territory.

Food assistance slashed

The World Food Program announced on October 19 that it would slash food assistance by roughly one-third, dropping coverage from 1.6 million beneficiaries in September to 1.1 million and leaving half a million Palestinians without aid packages. Ration sizes were halved to a single parcel per family while wheat flour distributions were also curtailed, and daily hot meals dropped from 250,000 to 150,000, according to the UN agency.

While funding gaps triggered the reductions, Israeli inspection regimes and crossing restrictions have compounded the difficulty of delivering supplies, aid officials said. Gaza's government media office warned the same day that the aid reductions were accelerating famine conditions, accusing Israeli authorities of waging a "war of starvation."

Hospital generators at risk

Gaza's Health Ministry announced on October 21 that fuel stocks for hospital generators had been exhausted, warning that the remaining backup systems could fail and force the shutdown of life-saving medical services. Medical facilities require over 2,500 liters of fuel monthly to maintain generator operations amid the total absence of grid electricity, ministry officials stated.

Mazen al-Araishi, the ministry's director general of engineering and maintenance, said on September 13 that permitted fuel shipments were insufficient to cover both generator operation and essential maintenance. These generators sustain operating theaters, intensive care units, neonatal incubators, ventilators and dialysis machines — meaning their failure poses an immediate lethal risk to patients.

Territorial expansion and casualties

Israeli forces have continued expanding their territorial control by shifting "Yellow Line" markers westward, violating the gradual withdrawal terms established in the October ceasefire agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on June 24 that the army controlled roughly 70% of the Gaza Strip, and during a September 2 visit to the territory, he declared that Israel would not withdraw from the Yellow Line positions.

Netanyahu has conditioned any further withdrawal on Hamas's disarmament, while the Palestinian group has stated it will address weapons issues only in conjunction with a gradual, organized Israeli pullout. The Health Ministry reported that Palestinian fatalities from Israeli fire between October 2 and 21 increased by approximately 40% compared with the same period in September, rising from 68 to 95 deaths.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed 74,494 Palestinians and wounded 175,604 others, while destroying approximately 90% of the enclave's civilian infrastructure.