More than 80% of Israelis support Rafah operation in Gaza despite US opposition: Poll

Most Israelis, 82%, support a military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a new poll shows, despite pressure from the Biden administration and Democrats against doing so.

Just 10% of Israelis said the operation should not happen "in any circumstances," while 49% say the operation should proceed "in any circumstances," and 33% said it should occur under certain conditions, according to a poll commissioned by "Globes," an Israeli newspaper. 

Additionally, just 11% of Israelis say the country "does not do enough" to protect civilians in Gaza, while 62% say Israel "does all it can" to avoid civilian casualties and 19% say "Israel does too much, since there are no 'non-combatants' in the Gaza Strip," per the poll.

Furthermore, 44% of Israelis say that aid to Gaza should be conditional upon the release of the hostages, while 22% say that no aid should be given while the war continues. 

The White House said Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as recently as Monday that he has "deep concerns about the prospect of Israel conducting a major ground operation in Rafah." 

This poll was conducted by the Israeli research firm Shiluv from March 12-13, 2024 with 989 Israelis and it has a 3.1% margin of error.

Rafah is where multiple Hamas battalions are believed to be located, but Biden is not the only U.S. politician voicing concerns about an operation there.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Netanyahu of not committing to a "to a military operation in Rafah that prioritizes protecting civilian life."

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