Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-28
**Lead**
A new leader in Israel may reshape the political landscape, but for the people of Gaza, the silent war against a collapsing health system, poisoned water supplies, and deep psychological trauma continues unabated. As the world watches the electoral process, scientists and humanitarian organisations warn that the basic conditions for life remain absent. The question is not merely who will govern Israel, but whether the next administration will allow the scientific and medical infrastructure of Gaza to be rebuilt – or whether the slow, quiet erosion of life will persist.
**Context**
Gaza has been under a strict blockade for nearly two decades, a policy that has crippled its ability to maintain basic services. The territory’s water supply is a case study in environmental catastrophe. The coastal aquifer, the primary source of freshwater, is heavily contaminated with seawater, nitrates from untreated sewage, and industrial pollutants. According to the United Nations, more than 90 per cent of the water from the aquifer is unfit for human consumption. Desalination plants, where they exist, operate at a fraction of capacity due to fuel shortages and restrictions on the import of spare parts. The result is a public health crisis: waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid are endemic, and child mortality from diarrhoeal illness remains stubbornly high.
Healthcare in Gaza is equally fragile. The World Health Organization has documented repeated shortages of essential medicines, surgical supplies, and fuel for hospital generators. The blockade restricts the entry of medical equipment, forcing doctors to improvise with outdated tools. The mental health burden is immense. Years of conflict, displacement, and economic stagnation have left a generation of children with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Psychologists in Gaza describe a population living in a state of perpetual hypervigilance, unable to plan for the future because the future itself is uncertain.
Now, with Israel heading to the polls, the political calculus around Gaza may shift. The leading candidates have offered starkly different visions: some advocate for a continuation of the current policy of containment, while others hint at a more aggressive approach. But for scientists and aid workers on the ground, the immediate needs are not political – they are technical. The aquifer must be remediated. Hospitals must be resupplied. A mental health system must be built from scratch.
**Analysis**
The phrase “silent war” captures the nature of Gaza’s crisis. Unlike the dramatic explosions of armed conflict that periodically capture global attention, the daily erosion of life is invisible to most of the world. It is a war fought with contaminated water, with shortages of antibiotics, with the slow decay of infrastructure. It is a war that does not make headlines, but it kills and maims just as surely as bombs do.
For the United Kingdom, this crisis carries particular resonance. British universities and research institutions have long collaborated with Palestinian scientists on water management, public health, and agricultural resilience. The UK is also a significant donor to UN agencies operating in Gaza. Yet the effectiveness of that aid is limited by the political environment. Without a change in Israeli policy – whether from a new leader or a continuation of the old – scientific solutions cannot be implemented at scale. A desalination plant is useless if it cannot receive fuel. A mental health programme is futile if patients cannot access consistent care.
The election therefore presents a critical juncture. The next Israeli government will decide whether to allow the import of dual-use items that are essential for water treatment and medical infrastructure, or to maintain the current restrictions. It will decide whether to permit the reconstruction of homes and schools, or to keep the population in a state of limbo. For Gazans, waiting for life to begin again is not a metaphor – it is a daily reality. They wait for clean water, for a functioning hospital, for a future that does not revolve around survival.
**Fontes**
- World Health Organization (WHO) – reports on health system in Gaza, including medicine shortages and disease outbreaks. - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – data on water quality, infrastructure damage, and humanitarian needs. - United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) – reports on education, health, and social services for Palestinian refugees. - Academic studies published in journals such as The Lancet and the Journal of Water and Health on the environmental and health impacts of the blockade. - Statements from Israeli political candidates and parties regarding Gaza policy, as reported by major news agencies (BBC, Reuters, Associated Press).