Gaza Residents Watch Israeli Vote With Fear, Faint Hope and Little Expectation of Change

As Israelis prepare to vote on Tuesday, many Palestinians in Gaza are following the campaign with a mix of anxiety and uncertainty. The territory has been under a ceasefire since October 2025, yet residents say they still face near-daily Israeli air strikes, harsh living conditions and a siege that has left basic goods in short supply.

The election has been shaped by the war on Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced strong criticism over his handling of security before the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. Members of his far-right government have urged a tougher line on Gaza, including the expulsion of its population.

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

Islam Salem, 41, a father of three daughters displaced from Beit Lahiya, believes the result will affect his children's future, likely for the worse. He argues that elections mainly serve Israeli interests and that the approach to Gaza will stay the same under any government. He pointed to Israel's control of about 65 percent of Gaza inside the "Yellow Line" and doubted that reconstruction would begin soon. More than 80 percent of buildings in Gaza have been damaged, and about two-thirds of those are completely destroyed. "We live day by day," he said. "Everything we feared has already happened."

Hanan Abu al-Maaza, 57, has been displaced more than 12 times during the war. She said fear drives her interest in the vote and that she dreads worse treatment from the next government. If Netanyahu loses, she believes there is a better chance she could return 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, originally from northern Gaza and now displaced in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, also hopes Eisenkot replaces Netanyahu, whom she considers more extreme. But she argued that Israeli policy has been consistent for decades. She said a new government might ease the blockade and killings and withdraw from areas beyond the Yellow Line, allowing life to slowly return. Her biggest fear is that Netanyahu could start a wider regional war to relieve domestic political pressure around the vote.

Mousa Ali, 33, a father of four displaced from Beit Lahiya, said the election is critical for Palestinians because of the Yellow Line and whether displaced people can return to areas beyond it. He named Eisenkot as a possible alternative and hopes Arab parties perform strongly enough to have a role in the next government. He does not expect major change, though, and believes a Netanyahu win would prolong displacement and Israeli control around the line.

Across their accounts, residents shared a common appeal for Israel's next leader: end the war, stop the bloodshed and let people live in safety. "We hope this policy will end and that a new prime minister will stop this ongoing bloodshed," Ali said.