Israeli support for Netanyahu jumps even as U.S. opposes his war plan

Israeli support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is rising as he pushes the next phase of the war against Hamas with a military operation in Rafah opposed by President Joe Biden, a new poll shows.

The poll released Thursday by conservative news outlet Channel 14 showed Netanyahu with 46% support compared to 33% for National Unity Party rival Benny Gantz.

The survey also projected that Netanyahu's Likud Party would receive 25 mandates, compared with 23 mandates to Gantz's National Unity Party.

Biden threatened this week to halt shipments of munitions if Israeli forces push forward in  Rafah where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled.

Netanyahu responded with defiance. "If Israel needs to stand alone, it will stand alone," he said.

The American president, meanwhile, is beginning to meet resistance from Democratic donors and some members of his own party in Congress over his cooling support for Israel