Large majority of Israelis deny presence of innocents in Gaza

A new opinion poll has shown that a large majority of Israelis believe there are “no innocents in Gaza”, at a time when Tel Aviv has been waging a war of extermination against Palestinians for nearly 23 months, most recently targeting journalists working for international news agencies.

The survey, conducted by the aChord Centre, a research institute affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem between, 11 and 13 August with the participation of 912 Israelis, revealed that 76 per cent of respondents said there are no innocents in Gaza, reflecting a notable increase in extremist views within Israeli society. 

It also found that 63 per cent of Israelis, including most voters of the ruling coalition, consider the return of all captives to be “more important than defeating Hamas”. Many respondents said they believe if the government wants, it can end the war as part of a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal.

According to the poll, 59 per cent of respondents – including 25 per cent of coalition voters – believe the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing its utmost to secure the release of the captives, according to Anadolu Agency.

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