Loud speakers attached to mosques across the Gaza Strip rang out with happiness news of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammad Morsi’s victory in Egypt’s presidential run-off election. Gazans appeared to be elated as word of the victory by the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party standard-bearer spread throughout Gaza. 

Although the results will not be made official until Thursday, and opponent Ahmed Shafiq – a remnant of the vilified Mubarak regime -- is also claiming to have won the election, Hamas decided to accept the projected victory and celebrate even before the election commission made its announcement. Hamas supporters filled Gaza streets holding posters of Morsi, stopped cars and pedestrians to hand them sweets in the traditional gesture of celebration. Hamas-loyalists drove cars and motorbikes; or walked through the streets of Gaza carrying the flags of Hamas, Egypt and Palestine, all the time chanting victory cheers and displaying their congratulatory signs.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ismail Haniyya, prime minister of Gaza’s Hamas government, congratulated Egypt, “for this democratic manifesto.” Haniyya praised the Egyptian people as well as the leadership for holding the elections. “Egypt has caught the world's attention after the revolution and now the elections. I wait anxiously for the official results and I wish Egypt stability, safety, security and prosperity,” the statement read.

Moussa Abu Marzook, deputy chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, who elected to send his greetings via social media, sent congratulatory messages to the people of Egypt and to putative president-elect Morsi saying, “Egyptian elections represent hope. We congratulate Egypt and we congratulate Morsi for his victory in the initial results and we remind Morsi that supporting the Palestinian case isn’t limited to an Egyptian political party, it is something that is done by all the Egyptian people since forever.”

On Gaza’s streets, many talked about the election, offering their perspectives on what it will mean to Egypt and to the region. While some appeared to be uninterested, others were not even aware of the source of the celebration.

M.N., who asked not to be identified by his full name, is a student of electrical engineering at Al-Azhar University. He told The Media Line, “I have a final exam today and we are rarely getting any electricity here in Gaza. Who cares who wins Egypt's presidential elections? Nothing will change, so don’t waste your time and go do something useful.”

Amir and Qatadah Al-Soosi, though, were in the midst of a heated exchange regarding the election. Brothers and medical students at the Islamic university, both munched on the candies being handed out while pointedly disagreeing about what it all means. Amir espoused patience and optimism. “Why are we so worried if the Muslim Brotherhood wins the elections?” he asked. “They announced their support for Palestine and they might actually help end Gaza's siege. So rather than being pessimistic and judgmental, maybe we need to wait and see what happens. Anyway, the final elections results won’t be announced before next Thursday."

Qatadah responded very quickly with a more cautious, less optimistic analysis. “I don’t see how celebrating a victory that isn’t yet final is useful. Yes, we should wait. I'm against both Morsi and Shafiq. Neither of them will end Gaza's siege.  You will see: nothing will change for Gaza and I truly wish people here would wake up.”

Sami Mohamed, a classmate of the Al-Soosis who appeared to be amused by the brothers’ back-and-forth, challenged the new president to solve issues relating to the quality of life in the Gaza Strip that fall directly under Egyptian control.  “The Rafah border-crossing has been closed for a whole week as of today -- and even before that -- most of the people traveling were unable to pass. And we are barely getting any electricity nowadays. I don’t care who comes in as [Egypt’s] president, I would just like to ask him to ease Rafah border for us and to solve this electricity problem. I'm not optimistic at all.”

Mohamed’s comments referring to the aftermath of the election rather than about the vote itself were typical of most of the people on the streets who spoke to The Media Line. The situation at Rafah has been the talk of the town for some time, Gazans complaining bitterly about how hard it is to travel to and from Egypt because of the constant closures and interruptions at the border. During the past two weeks, many students reported losing visas and others, including families, individuals and patients seeking to travel for medical treatment, are saying they have lost any hope of leaving Gaza.

Khayri Abdallah had been scheduled to leave Gaza on June 15^th for London where he was planning to study for his Master’s degree. Khayri told The Media Line that he is stuck in Gaza and has lost his airline reservation. “The Rafah border is still closed and I don’t know when it will reopen,” he said. “Even when it does [reopen], they will need so many days to reorganize and let all the people who were registered to leave, that I have lost hope. I canceled my ticket and my visa for the U.K. has only one month left on it. Honestly, hope of ever pursuing my dream of higher education in London is dwindling. Let's see what happens with the Egyptian elections and whether this will help or not help us.”

Only time will tell what awaits both Gaza and Egypt.