Poll: 54% of Israelis believe hostage deal more important than Rafah operation

3 May 2024, 1:47 pm

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Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza hold banners and flags during a protest calling for their return, outside a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and families of hostages in Tel Aviv, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A slim majority of Israelis believe that securing a deal to release over 100 hostages held by terror groups since October 7 is more important than launching a planned IDF operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to a new poll.

The Maariv poll, conducted by Panel4All, finds that 54 percent of Israelis support a hostage deal over the looming Rafah operation (38%).

Breaking down the results, the poll shows that 79% of right-wing voters support the Rafah operation, while 81% of respondents who vote for center-left parties support a hostage deal.

The poll comes as Israel waits for Hamas’s response to its latest offer for a hostage and truce deal and considers starting the long-promised military operation in Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are sheltering amid the ongoing war.