Palestinian officials plead to foreign governments as Israelis return to the polls

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry is urging international governments to take “clear and firm positions” on escalating violence in the West Bank just days before Israel’s parliamentary election.

A day after attacks by Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers, Israel imposed widespread closures, with more than 1,000 residents displaced in the city of Hebron.

All gates leading in and out of the city were closed to vehicles, according to Basma Radio, a Telegram channel Palestinians use to monitor checkpoints and road closures. Hebron’s mayor accused the Israelis of laying siege to his city.

On Friday, Israel’s army said that in response to the attacks, its forces had begun “conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches” in the area where the gunmen had operated.

In a statement on social media, Palestine’s Foreign Ministry said Israel’s actions included the “forced displacement and destruction, and the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque sanctuary.”

The ministry accused the Israeli army of targeting Palestinian citizens and their properties, warning against a repetition of what it called the “ongoing crimes in the Gaza Strip.”

The statement said Israel is “constituting measures to reproduce the Nakba with renewed military and colonial tools, amid the Israeli electoral race and the pursuit of political gains at the expense of Palestinian national rights.”

The escalating conflict comes just three days before Israelis vote in a national election.

Polls suggest three years of war have eroded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s support.

With more than 1,500 Palestinians killed in Gaza since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October 2025, Israelis in Canada said they are returning to vote in what feels like a “last chance” election.

The death toll numbers come from Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry maintains detailed records and is regarded as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Part of the Hamas-run government, the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up nearly half of those killed.

“This feels almost like the last chance, the last heartbeat, to beat the Netanyahu movement and to get this country back on course. The desperation is palpable. It’s always been stressful and hard, but at this time it seems like it’s really the last chance,” one Israeli-Canadian told the Associated Press.

He said his family, many of whom still live in Israel, have been pleading with him to return and cast a ballot.

“And I just realized it would be really obnoxious of me to keep saying no and no and no,” he said.

While these Israelis live outside of the Middle East, they still feel the effects of what one called a “vendetta” on Gaza.

“I’m embarrassed to say I’m from Israel,” she said. “I feel I have to apologize. I’m sorry that I’m from this country that’s doing such horrible things.”

She said she owes it to her friends, family and fellow Israelis to return and have her vote counted.

Netanyahu, 77, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and longtime leader of the Likud Party.

In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is also embroiled in a years-long legal battle at home, having been charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. He denies any wrongdoing.

Netanyahu’s main opponent in the election is Gadi Eisenkot, 66, who positions himself as a moderate alternative.

Eisenkot rose through the ranks of the Israeli military, eventually becoming chief of staff.

He also served as an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet, but resigned after eight months, accusing the prime minister of lacking a clear strategy.

Also on the ballot are former prime minister Naftali Bennett, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Arab-Muslim political party Ra’am.

– With files from The Associated Press