Americans overwhelmingly back efforts to help civilians flee Gaza ahead of Israeli offensive: poll

Amid the ongoing Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip in preparation for a possible land invasion, most Americans support efforts to help civilians flee the coastal region ahead of what is likely to be an extremely bloody affair.

Fighting in the area has persisted for more than a week in the aftermath of a major Hamas raid into Israeli territory. Terrorists belonging to the group on Oct. 7 stormed the Israeli border and seized 199 hostages, while leaving hundreds of civilians dead in their wake. The Israel Defense Forces have since launched retaliatory strikes on the densely-populated Gaza Strip, prompting international concerns of mass civilian casualties in the event of a sustained bombardment or ground invasion.

While Americans have traditionally been sympathetic to the Israeli cause, a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey revealed that a majority of Americans want the U.S. government to help Gazan civilians flee the war zone.

78% agreed with the statement that "American diplomats should actively be working on a plan to allow civilians fleeing fighting in Gaza to move to a safe country." That figure includes 71% of Republicans and 94% of Democrats. A further 22% disagreed with working to aid civilian flight.  The strip is home to slightly more than 2 million people and Americans resoundingly expressed concerns for the fate of civilians amid the Israeli bombardment and possible invasion.

In total, 81% agreed that "Israel should avoid killing civilians in its retaliatory strikes against Hamas" while just 19% disagreed.

41% said the U.S. should support Israel in the conflict, compared to 2% who preferred that Washington back the Palestinians. A further 27% said the U.S. should be a "neutral mediator" while 21% of respondents did not want the U.S. involved in any capacity.

The survey questioned 1,003 U.S. adults and has a credibility interval of 4%.

The conflict has already stretched beyond Israel and Gaza, with the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad confirming last week that Israel struck targets within its territory. Moreover, the presence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has raised concerns of another front opening in the war.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.