‘US policy is based on a fixed strategy regardless of who is president,' says elderly Palestinian man
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip view Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections with great caution, with opinions divided between cautious hope that his presidency might bring positive changes and frustration over the possibility that US policies supporting Israeli genocide in the enclave.
Trump claimed a blowout victory against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris following the Nov. 5 polls, far surpassing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. He also became the first Republican nominee to win the popular vote in two decades.
Trump had stated in a speech in Michigan, home to a large Arab and Muslim community, that “they know Kamala and her warmonger Cabinet will invade the Middle East, get millions of Muslims killed, and start World War III. VOTE TRUMP, AND BRING BACK PEACE!”
As calls for ending Israeli genocide in Gaza and improving living conditions grow, many feel they may be excluded from US political calculations unless the new administration takes genuine steps to end the conflict and improve humanitarian conditions.
Trump is set to take the presidential oath on Jan. 20, 2025, marking the official beginning of his second term.
- Faint hopes
Suhad Hussein, a Palestinian woman displaced southeast of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, called on the new US president to immediately stop the Israeli war, saying: “We are exhausted by displacement and the harshness of life. The children are homeless, diseases are spreading, and food and medicine are scarce.”
In an interview with Anadolu, Hussein hopes that the crossings will be opened to allow the entry of supplies and winter clothing as the season approaches and that the suffering of Gazans will end once Trump takes office.
She mentioned her lack of optimism about a change in US policy, stressing that "the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, are oppressed by the entire world. Even the Arab countries do not defend Palestinian interests. If the countries claimed to be humane, they would have stopped the war since its beginning."
Meanwhile, her 9-year-old son, Jud Omar Hussein, expressed his simple dream of living a normal life like other children in the world, one where he feels safe and has access to his basic needs.
“I hope the war stops, and we can return to our homes and schools, and be able to play with our toys, which we lost,” Jud told Anadolu.
Jud's situation mirrors that of other victims of Israeli war crimes who have been deprived of their basic rights to safety, education, and childhood.
Abu Ahmed, 68, believed that a change in the US presidency will not make a significant difference in the country's strategy towards the Palestinian issue.
He tells Anadolu, sitting in his chair: "US policy is based on a fixed strategy regardless of who is president. The differences are only in the methods of execution, not in the goals."
Abu Ahmed pointed out that this "consistency in policy makes hopes for a radical change weak, especially in light of the unstable Arab and Islamic situation."
Observers believe that both Republicans and Democrats are "two sides of the same coin" when it comes to supporting Israel, with competition between them due to the influence of Jewish lobbying groups in Washington, as well as shared interests between the two countries.
During his first term, Trump gave significant support to Israel, deciding in 2017 to recognize occupied East Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, a move rejected by Palestinians and in violation of relevant international resolutions.
- US intervention
Ahmad al-Maghari, 33, is hoping for real US intervention from the new administration that could end the Middle East conflict.
"In his speeches, Trump repeatedly mentioned his intention to achieve peace, and we hope he applies this in Gaza. We want a just peace and an immediate end to the war,” he told Anadolu.
Al-Maghari added that “the continuation of the conflict negatively affects the lives of the residents, and it is essential to restore normal life in Gaza as soon as possible."
"We are fed up with this war.”
Nine-year-old Iman al-Assar expressed deep sorrow over the loss of her family members in an Israeli bombing on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
In an interview with Anadolu, al-Assar mentioned that the war destroyed her family's home and robbed her of her childhood.
“I wish I could live a normal life like other children around the world. The war destroyed our homes and killed my loved ones. I hope the new US president will stop this war and help rebuild Gaza,” she added.
In the same context, Palestinian Rami Habib, 44, demanded that the new US president immediately “stop the Israeli war after the many Israeli crimes and massacres committed against Palestinians.”
He called on the new US administration “to take serious steps to end the war. We are tired and no longer have the energy to bear more. The Palestinian people in Gaza are even unable to meet their basic needs.”
Habib believed that the US support for Israel “is one of the main reasons the genocide continues. The war brings nothing but destruction, and Gaza poses no real threat to Israel or any other country.”
Iman Aliwa, a nursing student and volunteer at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, called for an end to the war, the opening of border crossings to allow for the entry of essential supplies, and medical care for the injured Palestinians.
“Our lives have completely stopped because of the war. We are suffering from severe shortages, especially with the wounded needing to travel for treatment. We hope Trump will take steps to open the crossings and bring in essential supplies,” Aliwa told Anadolu.
Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 43,500 people and rendering the enclave almost uninhabitable.
Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave.
* Writing by Rania Abu Shamala.
