Poll in Israel: narrow majority supports ceasefire
A narrow majority of the surveyed Israelis expressed support for ending the Gaza War within an agreement with the militant-Islamist Hamas organization in an Institute for Israel Democracy poll. Fifty-six percent of the respondents supported a ceasefire and a full Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In return, Hamas was expected to release the hostages it has held since the October attack.
The survey also revealed that nearly 30 percent of the Israeli respondents supported a temporary ceasefire that would facilitate the release of some hostages. For the survey of 850 Israelis, a margin of error of 3.85 percent was reported.
Israel and Hamas are currently negotiating over conditions for a ceasefire and the release of hostages from the hands of extremists. A major point of contention is Hamas' demand that Israel commit to a permanent end to the war as part of any agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far rejected this demand. He is relying on military pressure to compel Hamas to release the hostages. His coalition partners have threatened to withdraw from the government if the prime minister makes concessions.
- A significant proportion of the respondents, representing 30% of the surveyed Israelis, advocated for a temporary ceasefire, aiming to facilitate the release of some hostages.
- Despite the 56% majority of respondents expressing support for a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, only scarce percentages were in favor of a permanent end to the conflict as proposed by Hamas.
- While the negotiations between Israel and Hamas are ongoing, the finding from the Institute for Israel Democracy survey indicates that only a minority of the respondents (less than 10%) agree with Hamas' demand for a complete cessation of hostilities as a prerequisite for any ceasefire agreement.
