Poll: Majority of Israelis support ending war, 45% want PM Netanyahu's immediate resignation

A solid majority of Israelis, 66%, want an end to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, according to an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll, which was released on Monday.

Approximately 27% surveyed want the war to continue, while 7% said they are not sure.

As Israel marks the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, the primary concern among those who want the war to end is the fear of endangering the remaining hostages.

By contrast, 56% of Israelis who oppose ending the war emphasized the need to fully dismantle Hamas as a military threat. Additionally, 28% of those who support continuing the war believe that sustained military pressure on Hamas is necessary to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

The IDI poll also found that 66% of Israelis want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take responsibility for the failures of Oct. 7. Of those surveyed, 45% believe he should resign immediately, while 19% say he should step down after the war. Another 18% think he should acknowledge responsibility but remain in office, 13% believe he should do neither, and 5% were unsure.

A significantly higher proportion of Israeli Arabs than Jews believe Netanyahu should resign immediately. “The share of those who think that Netanyahu should accept responsibility and resign immediately is much higher among Arabs (67%) than among Jews (41%),” the IDI said in a statement.

An overwhelming majority of left-wing Jews (88%) and centrist Jews (63%) believe Netanyahu should resign immediately; within the right wing, 23% think Netanyahu should step down immediately, 25% believe he should resign at the end of the war, 27% think he should accept responsibility and not resign, and 21.5% believe he should do neither.

The Israel Democracy Institute conducted its survey via the internet and telephone between Sept. 14-18. The sample included 800 Hebrew-speaking and 200 Arabic-speaking participants, with a margin of error of 3.1%. The IDI is a left-leaning think tank that has frequently criticized the Netanyahu government’s policies.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza 20-point plan envisions the release of the remaining 48 Israeli hostages within 72 hours from the time Hamas accepts the conditions for ending the war in Gaza. In exchange, Israel is expected to release some 250 convicted terrorists with life sentences from Israeli jails and more than 1,700 Gaza residents who were arrested and detained after Oct. 7, 2023, for their possible involvement in the massacre.

Most Israelis have supported an end to the war in exchange for all hostages.

In April, a poll published by Kan Reshet Bet revealed that 56% of Israelis supported a deal with Hamas that would return the hostages in one phase in exchange for a complete end to the war and the release of prisoners from Israeli jails.

A July poll published by Channel 12 News found that nearly 75% of Israelis supported ending the war in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages. Among voters for coalition parties, 60% backed such a deal.