Only 15 percent of Israelis want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in office after the war against Hamas in Gaza ends, although many still support his strategy to crush the militants in the Palestinian enclave, a poll released Tuesday showed.
Netanyahu vowed to crush Hamas after its rampage on October 7 in southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted in Gaza. Israeli forces destroyed large parts of Gaza in their nearly three-month offensive in retaliation.
In a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), 56 percent of respondents said a continued military offensive was the best way to return the hostages, while 24 percent believed an exchange deal, including the release of thousands of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, would be the best solution.
More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to health officials in Gaza, and most of the population has been displaced. Israel claims to have killed around 8,000 Palestinian fighters and has vowed to pursue Hamas leaders.
Only 15 percent of respondents, however, want Netanyahu to remain prime minister when the war ends, the poll shows. His political rival and current partner from the war cabinet, the centrist Benny Gantz, received the support of 23 percent of respondents. About 30 percent of them did not specify their desired leader.
The survey was conducted among 746 respondents between December 25 and 28, with an accuracy rate of 95 percent, IDI said. A previous IDI poll in December showed that 69 percent of Israelis believe that elections should be held as soon as the war ends.
Netanyahu said on Saturday that it will take months to win. Repeated opinion polls have shown that his popularity has plummeted since a surprise October attack by Hamas that led to the deadliest day in Israel’s 75 years of existence, reports Reuters.
