Israeli voters appear to largely favor right-wing politicians following a cease-fire deal with Palestinian factions ending an Israeli offensive allegedly aimed at staunching rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, suggested a poll published Friday by Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post.
According to the survey, which the newspaper said was conducted with 500 respondents; the Israeli right wing would win an overwhelming 84 of the 120 Knesset seats, an increase from its current 61-seat bloc, if elections were held now.
Moreover, the newspaper said fifty-eight percent of respondents were frustrated with an indefinite truce deal signed in Cairo Tuesday, which prominent Palestinian Hamas movement declared a "victory" over Israel after 51 days of relentless attacks that left over 2000 Palestinian dead and thousands of Gaza homes destroyed.
Respondents thought the Israeli army believed the Israeli operation stopped short of undermining Hamas' military abilities and called the truce a "mistake that wastes the achievements of the Israeli armed forces," the paper reported.
The cease-fire ended 51 days of relentless Israeli attacks on the strip, which saw 2,145 Palestinians killed – the vast majority of them civilians – and nearly 11,000 injured.
Over the course of Israel's offensive, at least 70 Israelis – 65 soldiers and five civilians – were killed, according to Israeli figures.
The cease-fire deal also calls for opening all border crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel – effectively ending the latter's seven-year blockade of the coastal territory.
According to the agreement's terms, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators will hold indirect negotiations on other core Palestinian demands – including the release of prisoners and the establishment of a Gaza seaport – after one month.
www.aa.com.tr/en
