Recent major developments in Israeli politics are leading Palestinians to wonder what's next for them. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted Dec. 26 to hold early elections April 9, nearly eight months ahead of schedule amid internal disputes and crises.

Palestinians know they will play a central role in the Israeli election campaign, with candidates proposing how to deal with them. Right-wing forces led by the Likud and HaBayit HaYehudi refuse to engage the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in negotiations aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the establishment of a Palestinian state. Both Israeli parties support the ongoing siege of Gaza and sporadic military operations against Hamas. Meanwhile, the Zionist Camp and Meretz, from the Israeli center and left, call for negotiations with the Palestinians while ensuring Israeli security interests. They would like to see Hamas sidelined in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority (PA) regain control over the territory.

Some Palestinian factions are claiming to have had a hand in the call for elections. According to the Donia al-Watan website, Ziad al-Nakhala, secretary-general of Islamic Jihad, said that the decision to hold early elections stems from what he called Israel’s defeat in the Nov. 12-13 clashes in Gaza. By this he was alluding to the spurt of violence having led to a cease-fire that resulted in the resignation of Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman in protest and his party's exit from the Netanyahu government, preludes to the government's collapse.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al-Monitor, “The Israeli government has been shaken due to the Great Return March protests supported by Palestinian military action.”