Two-thirds of Israelis support the prospect of a ceasefire that would see the release of hostages held by terror groups in the Gaza Strip, along with an end to the war there, including a full Israeli military withdrawal. Even among right-wing respondents, more said they also back such an agreement than oppose it, according to the results of a poll published Wednesday.
Among voters for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, just over half said they would support such a framework, the Israel Democracy Institute survey found.
The survey came after the government ordered the Israel Defense Forces to prepare a major operation to conquer Gaza City, despite pushback from the military, which has reportedly advised reaching a ceasefire deal instead.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 48 hostages, including 47 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023, during their massive invasion of southern Israel that also killed 1,200 people and triggered the war.
Asked if Israel should agree to a deal that would release all hostages, end hostilities, and see the IDF pull out of Gaza, 64.5% said it should. Among Jewish Israelis, 62% back such a deal, while 81% of Arab Israelis support it. There were 6.5% of respondents who said they don’t know.
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On the political left, 92% favor such a deal, in the center 77%, while on the right, 47% were in favor compared to 44% who were opposed.
“More than half of the voters for Likud, United Torah Judaism, and Shas support such a deal,” the IDI said in a statement, naming two ultra-Orthodox parties allied with Netanyahu, while noting that only among voters for the far-right Religious Zionism party was there less support, at just 23%.
Among voters for Netanyahu’s Likud party, 52% support such a deal.
IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip ahead of a planned Gaza City offensive, in a photo released for publication August 27, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Regarding the expansion of military operations in Gaza, which has required the call-up of tens of thousands of reservists, 49% of Israelis said they opposed it, and 42% were in favor. Support was stronger among Jewish Israelis, with a plurality of 49% backing the plan, while 81% of Arab Israelis, who make up about one-fifth of the overall population, opposed it.
“There is a substantial share of Israelis who support a hostage deal that involves a full withdrawal from Gaza while also saying they support the expansion of fighting in Gaza,” IDI’s Tamar Hermann said in the statement. “This is due to the context-specific nature of each question – many Israelis prioritize bringing the hostages home even at a great cost, but if a deal cannot be struck, they support the expansion of operations in Gaza.”
Netanyahu on Tuesday vowed that the war will go on, while Religious Zionism leader Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has spearheaded a call — backed by other ministers, including from Likud — to reestablish Israeli settlements in Gaza. Critics accuse Smotrich and fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir of stymying efforts to reach a ceasefire deal by threatening to bolt the government if such an agreement is signed.
Jewish Israelis were also 53% in support of settlements in Gaza, while 86.5% of Arab Israelis oppose them. Most on the left and center oppose settlements, while most on the right back them. The poll found that support increased in line with levels of religiosity, with the highest rate of support among the ultra-Orthodox (75%) and lowest among secular Israelis (21%).
However, the IDI found that just over a third of those “who support the expansion of the fighting and Jewish settlement in Gaza also support a deal for the return of all the abductees” that would see the IDF withdraw, thereby nixing the possibility of settlements.
Over half of the general public (53%) said they think leaders are not doing enough to bring the hostages home.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks to reservists reporting for duty at Nachshonim base, after having been called up in preparation for the military’s conquest of Gaza City, September 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
The August 2025 Israeli Voice Index was prepared by the IDI’s Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research. It was conducted via the internet and telephone, between August 24–28, 2025, with 600 men and women interviewed in Hebrew and 150 in Arabic. The margin of error was given as ±3.58% at a confidence level of 95%.
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