73% Israelis want war in Gaza to end with hostage deal, 2/3 people say politics driving war: Survey

The overwhelming majority of Israelis support ending the war in the Gaza Strip with a deal for the release of hostages and say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political agenda is driving the war, not any strategic objective, according to a survey

The survey’s findings have been published at a time when Israelis are holding regular protests across the country to press Netanyahu to secure the release of hostages at the earliest. Thousands of protestors have blocked roads as part of demonstrations.

As many as 73.79 per cent Israelis support ending the war with a deal for the release of hostages, as per a survey by Agam Labs published by The Jerusalem Post.

The survey further found that two-thirds of Israelis believe that the political agenda of the country’s leader is currently driving the war, not any strategic objective. The sentiment has been publicly echoed in ongoing protests in the country.

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, on Tuesday said that Netanyahu is waging the war “without a clear goal” and that it has become obvious that the prime minister is “afraid of one thing — public pressure”, according to The Times of Israel.

In a particularly damning finding, 64 per cent of Israeli soldiers believe that the war is being waged with political considerations.

Even Netanyahu’s voters want war to end

The survey found that even Netanyahu’s supporters and nearly a little less than a third of far-right party’s supporters want the war to end.

A clear majority —54.7 per cent— of Netanyahu’s Likud party supporters want the war to end with a deal for the release of hostages, the survey found.

Among supporters of far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s extremist Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit parties, the figure is 28.4 per cent, the survey found.

The survey’s findings have come at a time when Israel’s renewed offensive for the control of Gaza City has led to worldwide condemnation. For months, the condemnation of Israel had already been increasing by the day over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of Israel’s policy of restricting the flow of aid. Deaths were not just reported from hunger but also from attacks on Palestinians gathered at food distribution sites.

Last month, the United Nations (UN) published a video in which Israeli gunfire directed at Palestinians sitting at a food distribution site was captured.

Continued Israeli strikes that continue to add to the tens of thousands of dead and wounded have also continued to attract condemnation. In the latest instance that generated international outrage, Israel on Monday bombed the Nasser hospital, the main healthcare facility in southern Gaza, twice and killed around 20 people, including at least five journalists who worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and the Middle East Eye.