As Egyptians head to polls, Gaza war helps Sisi secure third term

Ayah Aman

Dec 9, 2023

Supporters hang a campaign banner of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a bus on a street in Cairo on December 7, 2023, ahead of the country's presidential election. — KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

CAIRO — As Egyptians prepare to head to the polls for presidential elections starting this Sunday, incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi looks set to secure a third term. While his tight-fisted rule — including a crackdown on the opposition and strong press restrictions — has helped ensure he goes unchallenged in the polls, his positions on the Israel-Hamas war raging next door in Gaza have also provided a boost to his popularity.

In particular, Sisi's outright rejection of allowing Palestinians into Egypt through the Rafah border has been received well by a population that fears another wave of displacement. This is added to the war itself distracting from other issues such as inflation and a stagnant economy, all of which would have otherwise hurt Sisi's chances.

Just as Egypt opened the registration process for the candidates in early October, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its so-called Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7.

Palestinians militants infiltrated into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 240 others hostages. The surprise assault prompted a massive Israeli bombardment campaign in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 17,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and forcing an estimated 1.8 million people into displacement, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.