Before the October 7 Hamas attacks upended political debate,Labor worried most about losing Macnamara to the Greens,but the electorate’s large Jewish population is unlikely to back the pro-Palestinian party.

The Greens now hope the more than 10 per cent of Wills voters who are Muslim will be swayed by the party’s stance against the war which has killed more than 32,000 people in Gaza,according to the strip’s Hamas-run health authorities.

“The Greens have tried for a long time to unite the progressives in the south of Wills and older voters in the north. They think this issue[the war] will achieve that,” said one Labor source,who like the others spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly.

“It tells you all you need to know about them that they see a tragedy as an opportunity for political gain.”

Pitted against the Greens’ passionate rhetoric and continuous campaigning on the war,Khalil faces a difficult task in convincing voters sympathetic to the Palestinian cause that he is on their side.

He has been spruiking what he has described as practical contributions to the Israel-Palestine war,including speaking with ambassadors about a ceasefire,lobbying for humanitarian funding,emphasising adherence to international law and working behind the scenes with Labor ministers.

On Thursday,he said Palestinians were in “dire need” of assistance and declared Labor’s long-standing support for a two-state solution.

“A government can do that – not just shout from the sidelines,” he said on ABC Radio Melbourne.

Greens sources,who also did not want to be named,said the streets of Wills were littered with pro-Palestinian pamphlets. They noted Bandt’s attendance at a recent Greens Iftar dinner attended by hundreds of Muslims – a stark contrast to Labor Premier Jacinta Allan’s Iftar dinner which was cancelled due to the deteriorating relations between Labor and Muslim leaders.

The Green sources said some attendees at the dinner were traditional Labor voters who had never contemplated the progressive party,which may not represent the social values of some Muslim voters.

“We’ve never had these kinds of numbers,” one party member said.

Ratnam,who will have to step down from her state upper house seat if she wins preselection,said she was unable to comment until the process was completed. She is expected to face surrogacy lawyer Sarah Jefford,who stood for the Greens at the last federal election,for the nomination.

The prime minister is expected to call a federal election between November this year and May next year.

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