69% of Israelis, 54% of coalition voters back ending war in exchange for hostages — poll
Breaking with government, clear majority appears to prioritize captives; Ron Dermer denies report he has not met hostages’ families since taking lead on negotiations
Sixty-nine percent of Israelis support ending the war in exchange for a deal that releases all remaining hostages in Gaza, compared to 21% who oppose such a trade, according to a poll aired by Channel 12 Friday.
Even among coalition voters, a majority (54%) back such a move compared to 32% who oppose it.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has long refused any suggestion of ending the war in exchange for the return of the 59 remaining hostages, saying the fighting can only end when the Hamas terror group is removed from power and can no longer pose a threat to Israel.
Of those 59 hostages, 24 are still believed to be alive.
The government also refused to hold negotiations on a potential second phase of the ceasefire deal — though it had agreed to do so under the original agreement. The second phase would have seen the release of the remaining living hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The deal’s third phase envisioned the release of bodies held by both sides.
Netanyahu instead has sought to secure the release of additional hostages through an extension of phase one’s temporary ceasefire, which would allow Israel to later resume fighting against Hamas. The government argues that agreeing to end the war now in exchange for the remaining hostages would allow Hamas to remain in power. Hamas has so far refused such a deal.
On March 18, Israel renewed intensive military operations throughout Gaza, saying it would no longer grant Hamas respite if it did not continue releasing hostages.
The resumption of fighting in Gaza without the return of the hostages, along with other contentious steps taken by the government against the judiciary and the security establishment, triggered a wave of mass protests throughout Israel, with reports of over 100,000 Israelis demonstrating nationwide last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Channel 12 reported Friday that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has yet to meet with a single hostage family or present his own initiative for a hostage deal since taking over as the head of Israel’s hostage negotiating team last month.
Dermer’s office issued a statement insisting that he has met with four hostage families in the last two weeks, but declined to reveal the names of those families.
Critics have argued that additional military operations endanger the remaining living hostages and won’t accomplish what Israel was unable to do over the first 15-plus months of the war. Arab allies have instead proposed sidelining Hamas through a diplomatic initiative that includes gradually returning the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza, something Netanyahu has flatly rejected, as he accuses the PA of implicitly backing terror against Israel.
Hamas released 30 hostages — 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers and five Thai nationals — and the bodies of eight slain Israeli captives during a ceasefire between January and March. The terror group freed 109 civilians in 2023, and eight hostages have been rescued from captivity by troops alive, while the bodies of 41 have also been recovered.
A senior Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel on Thursday that Qatar had presented Hamas with a new US proposal to attempt to restore the ceasefire in Gaza through the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.
In exchange for Alexander’s release, US President Donald Trump would issue a statement calling for calm in Gaza and the resumption of negotiations for a permanent ceasefire, the diplomat said, confirming reports on Channel 12 and the Axios news site.
The Arab diplomat expressed skepticism that Hamas would agree to release Alexander for only a statement from Trump and said the terror group would likely ask for something more substantial.
Hamas has yet to respond to the latest US proposal, but Qatari mediators told the terror group that compliance would create goodwill for them with Trump, making it more likely that he will push Netanyahu to agree to a permanent ceasefire, the diplomat added.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators met with a Hamas delegation in Doha on Thursday evening to discuss the latest US proposal, the Arab diplomat said.
How Israel will respond to it is also unclear. Netanyahu held consultations with his security chiefs and top advisers on Thursday to discuss the matter, according to an Israeli official.
Netanyahu on Wednesday threatened to intensify Israel’s military campaign in Gaza if Hamas didn’t begin releasing hostages, saying the IDF would begin occupying additional parts of the Strip.
The premier insisted earlier this week that Israel is nearing the defeat of Hamas — something he has been claiming for over a year.
The Times of Israel Community.