Starvation in Gaza becomes election campaign material in Israel as crises worsen Palestinians’ lives

Israeli army expands areas under its control while Palestinian death toll rises amid continued attacks Hardline Israeli rhetoric toward Palestinians has increasingly become part of campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s Knesset elections, while humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip have worsened amid tighter restrictions and continued Israeli violations. Last week, extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released an AI-generated campaign video depicting the Gaza Strip completely destroyed by 2030 as part of his far-right Jewish Power party’s election campaign. Four developments have emerged among the most pressing crises facing Gaza: the loss of food assistance for half a million Palestinians, the threat of vital hospital services shutting down because of depleted generator fuel, the expansion of areas under Israeli military control, and rising numbers of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. The developments come amid continued Israeli bombardment, gunfire, and restrictions on the entry of supplies despite a ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025. The following are four crises that have worsened in Gaza during Israel’s election campaign and their impact on Palestinians. Food aid cuts On Oct. 19, the World Food Program (WFP) said that it was reducing food assistance in Gaza by around one-third, leaving about 500,000 Palestinians without support and cutting the number of beneficiaries from 1.6 million in September to 1.1 million in October. The reductions included halving food rations, with families receiving one food parcel instead of two, as well as cutting quantities of wheat flour. The WFP also reduced the number of hot meals it provides daily from 250,000 to 150,000, while families in hard-to-reach areas, including those near the Yellow Line, now receive a meal every other day. The UN agency attributed the measures to a funding shortage, saying financing for its operations in the Palestinian territories in 2026 had fallen to less than half the levels recorded in previous years. It said it needs $450 million to continue operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank during the six months from October through March 2027. Around 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza, roughly two-thirds of the population, face high levels of food insecurity, according to the WFP. Although the agency cited funding shortages as the reason for reducing assistance, Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies and goods have further complicated efforts to meet humanitarian needs. In a report published Oct. 19, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said aid deliveries into Gaza continued to face difficulties due to inspection procedures, limited crossing capacity and coordination requirements. Gaza’s government media office warned the same day that aid cuts were accelerating famine conditions, accusing Israel of waging a “war of starvation.” The Palestinian government also warned on Oct. 20 of rising malnutrition rates among children and pregnant women, calling for adequate funding for humanitarian aid and the opening of crossings. Hospitals at risk of shutdown On Oct. 21, Gaza’s Health Ministry said stocks of fuel needed to operate hospital electricity generators had run out, warning that the remaining generators could fail and life-saving medical services could be forced to stop. Hospitals require more than 2,500 liters of fuel each month to keep generators running for extended periods amid a lack of electricity, the ministry said. On Sept. 13, Mazen al-Araishi, director general of engineering and maintenance at the ministry, said the quantities of fuel allowed into Gaza were limited and insufficient to meet generator operations and maintenance needs. The ministry did not say when the last shipment of fuel entered Gaza or how long the generators could continue operating. Gaza hospitals have depended on generators since Israel cut electricity supplies to the enclave in October 2023 and its sole power plant stopped operating after running out of fuel, while the war destroyed large sections of electricity lines and distribution networks. The generators power operating rooms, intensive care units, neonatal incubators, ventilators and dialysis machines, making their failure a direct threat to patients’ lives. Expansion of Israeli-controlled areas The Israeli army has continued expanding the areas under its control in Gaza by moving “Yellow Line” markers westward, contrary to the gradual withdrawal outlined in the ceasefire agreement. The “Yellow Line” marks the area to which Israeli forces withdrew during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and separates territory under Israeli military control from areas where Palestinians are permitted to remain. When the agreement began to be implemented, around 53% of Gaza remained under Israeli control before the area gradually expanded. On Oct. 11, Israeli forces advanced dozens of meters into the Shujaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City and moved concrete blocks marking the Yellow Line farther west, forcing scores of families to flee. OCHA confirmed on Oct. 19 that markers near the Shujaiya junction had been moved and warned of the risk of further displacement in the area. The expansion of Israeli-controlled areas prevents Palestinians from reaching homes, agricultural land and public facilities while making humanitarian relief operations more difficult. On June 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army controlled around 70% of the Gaza Strip. During a visit to the enclave on Sept. 2, he said Israel would not withdraw from the Yellow Line. Netanyahu has linked further withdrawal to the disarmament of Hamas, while the Palestinian group says it is prepared to address the issue of its weapons alongside a gradual and organized Israeli withdrawal. Palestinian deaths Alongside the expansion of Israeli military control, the number of Palestinians killed by Israel from Oct. 2-21 rose by around 40% compared with the same period in September, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry figures. The data showed that 95 Palestinians were killed during that period in October, compared with 68 during the corresponding period in September, an increase of 27 deaths. The number of Palestinians killed by Israel since the ceasefire agreement took effect reached 1,534 as of Oct. 21, according to Health Ministry figures. Since October 2023, Israel has killed 74,494 Palestinians and injured 175,604 others in Gaza, while around 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.