2 out of 3 Israelis prioritize hostage deal over war against Hamas, according to recent poll

A solid majority of Israelis (67%) believe securing the return of the Israeli hostages is a higher priority than continuing the war against the terrorist organization Hamas, according to a fresh poll published by Israel's Channel 12 News on Friday.

By contrast, 26% of the respondents responded that continuing the war was more important than returning the hostages, while another 7% answered that they did not know.

Some 250 Israelis and foreign nationals were kidnapped during the Hamas-led invasion of Israel's southern border communities near Gaza on Oct. 7. Around 120 hostages are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, however, 32 are allegedly no longer alive.

When asked why they believe the war is continuing after nine months, 54% of the respondents argued that the decision was being driven by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political considerations. Over one-third of the respondents (34%) said believe the war is mainly being driven by military considerations. Another 12% of the Israeli public responded that they were not sure.

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed “total victory” over Hamas in Gaza. While Israel has degraded much of the terror group's military capabilities, 68% of the respondents believe Israel is far away from achieving the goal of a complete victory against Hamas, 23% believe Israel is getting closer and 9% responded that they do now know.

Netanyahu is apparently not alone in his assessment that defeating Hamas in military terms is within reach. Top Israeli military officials, including IDF Chief Herzi Halevi and Israel Air Force (IAF) Commander Tomer Bar recently stated that Israel is getting close to defeating Hamas’ military wing in Gaza.

The Channel 12 poll comes amid growing international optimism about Hamas and Israel reaching a hostage release agreement.

Hamas has undermined previous hostage negotiations with what Israel considers to be unrealistic demands, however, reportedly softened its position recently by dropping its prior demand that Israel commit to ending the war.

The Israeli government has agreed to a temporary truce to secure the release of the remaining hostages, however, Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders have vowed to continue the war until Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel’s security.

Tens of thousands of Israelis urged the government to accept the hostage deal during a protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. Another group of demonstrators rallied against the Netanyahu government and called for new elections.

Almog Meir Jan, one of four Israeli hostages rescued during an IDF operation in June, described his return to Israel as being “born again.”

“Returning was like having a birthday, like being born again, and I really hope that all the hostages in Gaza will experience the same rebirth as I did,” Jan said in a video released at the Tel Aviv rally.

“It's important that we reach a deal so that all the mothers can embrace their children and husbands, just as I hug my mother every morning now,” he added.

While the Israeli public has strongly backed Israel's war against Hamas, they have increasingly expressed frustration with the war's overall progress, with about 62% expressing dissatisfaction in an April poll.