Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday in an election shaped by the war on Gaza. Netanyahu has been strongly criticised for his handling of security before the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, and members of his far-right government have called for a tougher line on Gaza, including the expulsion of its population. The territory has been under a ceasefire since October 2025, yet residents told Al Jazeera they continue to endure almost daily Israeli air strikes, dire living conditions and a punishing siege that has caused shortages of basic goods.
Mohammed Eliyan, 36, displaced from the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and now living in Deir el-Balah with his five children, hopes Gadi Eisenkot, the former Israeli military commander and Netanyahu's main rival, will defeat the prime minister. “We hope there will be changes after the election, and that someone other than Benjamin Netanyahu will win,” he said. But he does not expect a major shift: “They are still our enemy, and I don't expect things to improve dramatically.”
Islam Salem, 41, displaced from Beit Lahiya and the father of three daughters, believes the result could affect Gaza's future and his children's lives, likely for the worse. “Israeli policy will not change in any way,” he said. He pointed to Israel's continued control of about 65 percent of Gaza's territory inside the “Yellow Line” and said he doubts reconstruction will begin soon, noting that more than 80 percent of buildings have been damaged and about two-thirds completely destroyed.
Hanan Abu al-Maaza, 57, displaced more than 12 times, fears the next government could bring more suffering, but says a Netanyahu defeat would improve her chance of returning to her home in Beit Lahiya. “We have had enough of war and destruction. There is nothing left to destroy, yet the suffering continues,” she said.
Manar Owaida, 23, displaced from northern Gaza to the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City, said Israeli policy has been the same for decades, but hopes a new government could ease the blockade and killings, withdraw from the “Yellow Line” and allow life to gradually return. She also voiced concern that Netanyahu could launch a wider regional war to avoid domestic political pressure around the vote. “We want to live in freedom and peace, away from killing and wars,” she said.