How Israel’s elections are structured and who is vying for power

One year after the Gaza ceasefire, Israel continues to conduct near-daily strikes, saying they target Hamas operatives, while retaining control of more than half of the territory.

More than 74,000 people have reportedly been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.

In the West Bank, UN records show that attacks by Jewish settlers are at their highest level to date, while Israeli settlements, considered illegal under international law, continue to expand rapidly.

For Palestinians, the outcome of Israel’s election will therefore have major implications for their lives.

The two leading camps, led by Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Eisenkot, take broadly similar positions on Gaza. Both support President Donald Trump’s peace plan, under which Hamas would surrender its weapons in exchange for a phased Israeli troop withdrawal. Eisenkot has also pledged to end Hamas’s rule in Gaza within 18 months, through military action if necessary.

Their policies differ more significantly in the West Bank. Netanyahu’s camp largely supports the continued expansion of Israeli settlements.

Eisenkot broadly supports Israeli settlements but opposes the controversial E1 project, which would effectively divide the West Bank. He also seeks to close unauthorised settler outposts established on Palestinian land, create conditions for a final peace agreement with the Palestinians and take stronger action against extremist settlers.

For decades, many mainstream Israeli politicians supported a two-state solution, which would create an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Netanyahu has long opposed that approach, and support for it has declined in recent years. None of the leading Jewish parties is campaigning on a two-state solution in this election, and many have rejected it outright.

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