67% of Israelis support ending Gaza war, poll shows

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

A majority of Israelis support ending the war in Gaza and reaching a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, according to a poll published on Wednesday by Israeli news site Walla.

The survey, conducted in collaboration with the private research institute Panel4All, sampled 583 Israeli and carries a margin of error of 4.3%.

Public insistence on ending the war in Gaza and signing an agreement for the release of hostages is growing, Walla reported, noting that 67% of respondents supported such a move.

The poll also found that 52% of Israelis support the recent ceasefire with Iran, while 33% oppose it and 15% expressed no opinion.

Israel launched its attacks on Iran on June 13, striking military, nuclear, and civilian sites and assassinating Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists. The assault lasted 12 days and killed 606 people while injuring 5,332.

In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli intelligence and military facilities with ballistic missiles and drones, killing 28 people and wounding 3,238, Iranian state media reported.

The US then struck Iranian nuclear sites, claiming it had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. In response, Tehran bombed the American Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect early Tuesday.

- Political implications for Netanyahu

Walla said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party is experiencing a “remarkable surge” in support following the conflict with Iran.

If elections were held today, Likud would win 26 seats in the 120-member Knesset—up four seats—making it the largest party for the first time since October 2024.

This puts it ahead of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s newly formed party, “Bennett 2026,” which dropped to 24 seats.

Despite the ongoing war in Gaza, Netanyahu repeatedly dismissed opposition calls for early elections. His critics accuse him of prolonging the conflict to cling to power.

According to the poll, 54% of respondents said their opinion of Netanyahu has not changed. Roughly one-third (32%) said their view of him improved, while only 8% reported a more negative opinion.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 56,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.