The Iran War Is a Disaster for Gaza
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World
/ March 9, 2026
The Iran War Is a Disaster for Gaza
How the crisis leaves Gaza’s 2 million people more friendless, isolated, and vulnerable than ever before.
Mohammed R. Mhawish
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A charity organization distributes meals to displaced Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan, as food shortages continue amid Israeli attacks and ongoing restrictions on the entry of aid, in Beit Lahia, Gaza, on March 8, 2026.
(Abdalhkem Abu Riash / Anadolu via Getty Images)
The widening US-Israeli war with Iran is already reshaping the political and military contours of the Middle East. Much of the focus has been on the risk of regional escalation and the implications for Gulf security. But the war’s impact may be just as immediate and consequential for Gaza, where 2 million people are already living under conditions that leave no room to absorb new pressures. The crisis is complicating an already volatile situation for a place with no functioning governance, no open borders, no powerful supporters, and a humanitarian infrastructure that was already failing before the strikes on Tehran.
The killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei removed the last remaining Middle East actor who, however cynically, saw Gaza as core to his agenda. For years, Iran helped arm and fund Hamas, not out of absolute alignment with the movement or out of solidarity with Palestinians, but because maintaining that front gave Tehran leverage in the wider region. As long as Iran had both the capacity and willingness to escalate—whether directly against Israel or through allied groups—Israel had to factor in the risk of a broader, multifront confrontation, a calculation that, until 2023, imposed at least some constraints on its actions in Gaza.
Those constraints are now gone. The Iranian leadership has been significantly degraded. The country’s missile and air defense infrastructure, which underpinned its regional deterrence, has been badly damaged. And with Khamenei dead and his successor, his relatively unknown son Motjaba, taking charge amid such turmoil, Iran’s political house will be consumed for the foreseeable future by an internal power struggle between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the clerical establishment, and whatever remains of civilian governance. Amid so many domestic crises, it seems highly unlikely that Gaza will be much of a priority, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Hamas is already dealing with the consequences of the assault on Iran. For years, Iran has been a financial backer and a logistical and strategic anchor for Hamas through the wider “axis of resistance,” providing funding, weapons, and a …
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Current Issue
World
/ March 9, 2026
The Iran War Is a Disaster for Gaza
How the crisis leaves Gaza’s 2 million people more friendless, isolated, and vulnerable than ever before.
Mohammed R. Mhawish
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Ad Policy
A charity organization distributes meals to displaced Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan, as food shortages continue amid Israeli attacks and ongoing restrictions on the entry of aid, in Beit Lahia, Gaza, on March 8, 2026.
(Abdalhkem Abu Riash / Anadolu via Getty Images)
The widening US-Israeli war with Iran is already reshaping the political and military contours of the Middle East. Much of the focus has been on the risk of regional escalation and the implications for Gulf security. But the war’s impact may be just as immediate and consequential for Gaza, where 2 million people are already living under conditions that leave no room to absorb new pressures. The crisis is complicating an already volatile situation for a place with no functioning governance, no open borders, no powerful supporters, and a humanitarian infrastructure that was already failing before the strikes on Tehran.
The killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei removed the last remaining Middle East actor who, however cynically, saw Gaza as core to his agenda. For years, Iran helped arm and fund Hamas, not out of absolute alignment with the movement or out of solidarity with Palestinians, but because maintaining that front gave Tehran leverage in the wider region. As long as Iran had both the capacity and willingness to escalate—whether directly against Israel or through allied groups—Israel had to factor in the risk of a broader, multifront confrontation, a calculation that, until 2023, imposed at least some constraints on its actions in Gaza.
Those constraints are now gone. The Iranian leadership has been significantly degraded. The country’s missile and air defense infrastructure, which underpinned its regional deterrence, has been badly damaged. And with Khamenei dead and his successor, his relatively unknown son Motjaba, taking charge amid such turmoil, Iran’s political house will be consumed for the foreseeable future by an internal power struggle between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the clerical establishment, and whatever remains of civilian governance. Amid so many domestic crises, it seems highly unlikely that Gaza will be much of a priority, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Hamas is already dealing with the consequences of the assault on Iran. For years, Iran has been a financial backer and a logistical and strategic anchor for Hamas through the wider “axis of resistance,” providing funding, weapons, and a …
The Iran War Is a Disaster for Gaza
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The Iran War Is a Disaster for Gaza
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Current Issue
World
/ March 9, 2026
The Iran War Is a Disaster for Gaza
How the crisis leaves Gaza’s 2 million people more friendless, isolated, and vulnerable than ever before.
Mohammed R. Mhawish
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Ad Policy
A charity organization distributes meals to displaced Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan, as food shortages continue amid Israeli attacks and ongoing restrictions on the entry of aid, in Beit Lahia, Gaza, on March 8, 2026.
(Abdalhkem Abu Riash / Anadolu via Getty Images)
The widening US-Israeli war with Iran is already reshaping the political and military contours of the Middle East. Much of the focus has been on the risk of regional escalation and the implications for Gulf security. But the war’s impact may be just as immediate and consequential for Gaza, where 2 million people are already living under conditions that leave no room to absorb new pressures. The crisis is complicating an already volatile situation for a place with no functioning governance, no open borders, no powerful supporters, and a humanitarian infrastructure that was already failing before the strikes on Tehran.
The killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei removed the last remaining Middle East actor who, however cynically, saw Gaza as core to his agenda. For years, Iran helped arm and fund Hamas, not out of absolute alignment with the movement or out of solidarity with Palestinians, but because maintaining that front gave Tehran leverage in the wider region. As long as Iran had both the capacity and willingness to escalate—whether directly against Israel or through allied groups—Israel had to factor in the risk of a broader, multifront confrontation, a calculation that, until 2023, imposed at least some constraints on its actions in Gaza.
Those constraints are now gone. The Iranian leadership has been significantly degraded. The country’s missile and air defense infrastructure, which underpinned its regional deterrence, has been badly damaged. And with Khamenei dead and his successor, his relatively unknown son Motjaba, taking charge amid such turmoil, Iran’s political house will be consumed for the foreseeable future by an internal power struggle between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the clerical establishment, and whatever remains of civilian governance. Amid so many domestic crises, it seems highly unlikely that Gaza will be much of a priority, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Hamas is already dealing with the consequences of the assault on Iran. For years, Iran has been a financial backer and a logistical and strategic anchor for Hamas through the wider “axis of resistance,” providing funding, weapons, and a …
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