88% of Israelis support hostage exchange deal: Poll

JERUSALEM

A public opinion poll published on Friday revealed that 88% of Israelis support a hostage exchange agreement as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party faces declining popularity due to the prolonged war in Gaza.

The survey, published by the daily Maariv, stated that 52% of respondents said they support a comprehensive exchange agreement while 36% favor a partial agreement. Only 6% opposed any deal, and 6% expressed no opinion.

The poll also indicated that if elections were held today, Netanyahu would struggle to form a government.

His political bloc is projected to secure only 49 seats in the Knesset, compared to 61 seats for the opposition. Arab parties would secure an additional 10 seats.

This marks a shift from a similar poll conducted last week, which showed Netanyahu’s bloc with 50 seats and the opposition with 60 seats.

The Knesset consists of 120 seats requiring at least 61 for a majority government.

According to the poll, Netanyahu’s Likud party would secure 22 seats. The opposition National Unity Party led by Benny Gantz would win 19 seats, while Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party is projected to gain 15 seats. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid would secure 14 seats.

Among the religious and far-right parties, Shas is expected to win 10 seats and Jewish Power, led by Itamar Ben Gvir, six seats.

Maariv noted that the Likud party lost two seats compared to last week, primarily due to stagnation in the Gaza war, high casualties among Israeli soldiers, the retrieval of the bodies of two hostages, and the lack of progress in hostage exchange negotiations.

Despite calls for early elections, Netanyahu has rejected the idea, citing the ongoing war as his government’s priority.

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed over 46,000 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara