Just 15% of Israelis want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in office after the end of the war against Hamas in Gaza, although many others still support his strategy of crushing the militants in the Palestinian enclave, according to a poll published on Tuesday. -Friday (2).
Netanyahu promised to eliminate Hamas after the October 7 attack in southern Israel. Israeli forces destroyed much of Gaza in their nearly three-month retaliatory offensive.
Netanyahu said such intense military pressure is also vital to ensure that the 129 hostages still held in Gaza are returned, after around 100 were released in late November in a swap deal that also involved hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
In the survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), 56% of respondents said that continuing the military offensive was the best way to recover the hostages, while 24% argued that a swap deal, including the release of thousands of others Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, would be best.
More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza health authorities, and most of the population has been displaced. Israel claims to have killed some 8,000 Palestinian fighters and has vowed to hunt down Hamas leaders.
While Netanyahu's rejection is significant, his political rival and current partner in the war cabinet, centrist Benny Gantz, received the support of 23% of those interviewed to take office. About 30% did not indicate a preferred leader.
The survey was carried out with 746 respondents between December 25 and 28, with a confidence level of 95%, IDI reported. A previous IDI poll, conducted in December, found that 69% of Israelis thought elections should be held as soon as the war ends.
Netanyahu said on Saturday (30) that it will take months before victory is achieved. Successive polls have shown that his popularity has fallen drastically since the Hamas attack in October.
See also: Netanyahu says Israel's war against Hamas will last months
Source: CNN Brasil
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