Netanyahu's Foes Draw Wary Interest From Gaza Residents Ahead of Tuesday Vote

Benjamin Netanyahu's rivals in Tuesday's Israeli election are drawing cautious attention from Palestinians in Gaza, who have lived under a ceasefire since October 2025 but report near-daily Israeli air strikes and shortages of basic goods. Several residents said they are watching the campaign closely, though most expect little to change for them regardless of who wins.

Netanyahu has faced criticism over security arrangements before the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. Members of his far-right coalition have called for a harder line on Gaza, including expelling its population.

Mohammed Eliyan, 36, was displaced from the Jabalia refugee camp with his five children and now lives in Deir el-Balah. He wants Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military commander and Netanyahu's main rival, to win, saying a Likud-led government with its far-right allies would mean more war and displacement. He does not expect a sharp turn. "They are still our enemy, and I don't expect things to improve dramatically," Eliyan said, adding that he hopes the next leader might be "less harsh."

Islam Salem, 41, displaced from Beit Lahiya with three daughters, said Israeli elections serve Israeli interests and that the approach to Gaza would hold under any government. He noted Israel controls about 65 percent of Gaza inside the Yellow Line and doubted reconstruction would start soon. More than 80 percent of buildings in Gaza have been damaged, and about two-thirds of those are destroyed. "We live day by day," Salem said. "Everything we feared has already happened."

Hanan Abu al-Maaza, 57, has been displaced more than 12 times during the war. She said she watches the vote out of fear of worse treatment from the next government, and added that if Netanyahu loses, she sees a better chance of returning to her home in Beit Lahiya. "We have had enough of war and destruction," she said. "There is nothing left to destroy, yet the suffering continues."

Manar Owaida, 23, displaced from northern Gaza to the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, also prefers Eisenkot over Netanyahu but said Israeli policy has stayed the same for decades. She said a new government could ease the blockade and killings and pull back from areas beyond the Yellow Line. Her main concern is that Netanyahu could open a wider regional war to ease political pressure around the vote.

Mousa Ali, 33, displaced from Beit Lahiya with four children, said the election matters for Palestinians because of the Yellow Line and whether displaced people can return beyond it. He named Eisenkot as an alternative and hopes Arab parties win enough seats to take a role in the next government. He does not expect major change, and said a Netanyahu win would extend displacement and Israeli control around the line. "We hope this policy will end and that a new prime minister will stop this ongoing bloodshed," Ali said.

Israeli polls close Tuesday.