Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

Gaza residents interviewed by Al Jazeera say they want candidates to address jobs, security and recovery, but those accounts are not a representative poll of voters. Palestinian legislative elections are scheduled for November 28, 2026, across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza; whether conditions will allow the vote to proceed as planned remains unsettled.

What Gaza residents interviewed say they want

Jobs and security

Ahmad Mohsen, a 24-year-old Gaza resident, told Al Jazeera that his first priority is stable work with decent pay so he can support himself and his family, followed by security. He also cited unemployment, housing, education and healthcare as issues he wants candidates to address.

“A candidate should put themselves in the people’s place and speak with the people’s voice, not someone else’s voice. They should speak for us, the young people who have been wronged for 20 years through wars and destruction. There needs to be an end to this,” Mohsen said.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Reconstruction and calm

Ghassan Marwan, 53, recalled voting in 2006 and described losing his home and factory during the war. He said his present hopes are reconstruction, calm and security: “After losing your home and your source of income, what else do you want? All you hope for is reconstruction, calm and security in the country,” he told Al Jazeera.

Marwan also questioned whether conditions are in place to hold an election, saying: “Sometimes I feel that talking about elections is almost a joke, because there are no clear conditions for holding them.”

What the election timetable says

The Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) lists November 28, 2026, as polling day for legislative elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. The CEC says a presidential decree calling the election was issued on July 9, 2026. Its official 2026 Legislative Elections page shows a latest data update of September 9, 2026.

This is a national legislative election, not the separate 2026 local elections. Al Jazeera describes the scheduled vote as the first Palestinian legislative election since 2006.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Will Gaza be included, and what could complicate the vote?

Gaza is included in the CEC’s stated territorial scope. Al Jazeera reports that the Commission estimates about 1.24 million people in Gaza will be eligible to vote. That is an eligibility estimate, not a turnout forecast.

Al Jazeera reports that destruction and mass displacement pose logistical and security challenges for election preparations. It also says the Commission has prepared to produce election materials locally if supplies are restricted. Those preparations do not establish that polling can take place across Gaza as scheduled; the sources reviewed do not settle whether conditions on the ground will permit it.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What can be concluded about voter priorities?

The interviews offer individual examples of what some Gaza residents hope candidates will address. Al Jazeera also quotes Gaza-based political analyst and writer Iyad al-Qarra describing a widespread desire for leadership focused on recovery. But the interviews and commentary do not measure how many voters rank jobs, security or reconstruction first. They should not be treated as a population-wide ranking or a representative survey.

Institutional context points to the importance of participation beyond the two interviews: a September 2026 report by the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process says transparent and inclusive elections across the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza and East Jerusalem, are essential to renewing Palestinian institutions. It reports that more than half of the eligible electorate has never voted in a national election. The report does not establish how Gaza voters rank specific policy priorities.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Al Jazeera’s October 3, 2026 report provides the interview accounts and its reporting on Gaza preparations; the CEC election page provides the official timetable and scope; and the UNSCO September 2026 report supplies institutional context.

Quick Recap

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.