Palestinians Expect Israel Elections to Change Netanyahu

Palestinians living in Gaza and the occupied West Bank view the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, 2026, as a critical turning point. Residents hope that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies will come to an end and that the leadership will change.

Many people, including those displaced by the war in Gaza, view the election as an existential matter. Netanyahu's main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, also pledges to curb settler violence in the West Bank and engage with ceasefire plans, despite rejecting a Palestinian state.

Palestinians state that current government policies, such as the expansion of settlements, the withholding of Palestinian Authority tax revenues, and the ban on Palestinian workers entering Israel, have made life unbearable. Recent tensions have further increased with settler violence, particularly during the olive harvest, with reports of attacks against Palestinians appearing in the press, including Haitham Abdel Jaber, an American citizen near Ramallah. Israeli police detained at least 10 people following attacks targeting Palestinians, European diplomats, and a journalist.