The poll included 509 Israeli adults,with a maximum margin of error of 4.4%. According to the results, 46% of Israelis support a comprehensive deal to end the genocide, while 26% see an urgent need for a partial deal.
In contrast, 18% opposed the deal, believing that the fighting must continue until Hamas is defeated, even if it costs the lives of prisoners. The poll reveals contradictory statements by government ministers, who claimed that the majority of the public supports the continuation of the fighting.
On Wednesday, Settlement Minister Orit Struck claimed in an interview with local radio station Kol Barama that "the overwhelming majority of the Israeli public sees the need to continue the fight," considering it the only way to return the captives and defeat Hamas.
The poll comes amid mounting pressure from the families of Israeli prisoners to pursue a deal to secure their release. Netanyahu ordered immediate negotiations on Thursday for their release, while Israel continues its plan to occupy the remaining Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu's statement demonstrates his desire for a deal with new terms, at a time when mediators are awaiting his official response to a US proposal recently approved by Hamas, which largely matches what Israel previously agreed to.
Israel estimates that Hamas holds 50 prisoners, including 20 living prisoners, while it holds more than 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons, amid human rights allegations of torture and medical neglect.
On Saturday, Hebrew media reported assessments within the Israeli security establishment indicating Netanyahu's awareness that his government's survival hinges on the plan to reoccupy Gaza City, and that the absence of such an operation could hasten its collapse.
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Maariv newspaper reported, citing an unnamed Israeli military source, that Netanyahu "is determined to press ahead with Operation Gideon 2 to the end," adding that Netanyahu "realizes that without the operation, he will not be able to maintain the cohesion of the government and it will disintegrate."
Regarding the exchange deal, the military source said, "Two weeks ago, Israel was negotiating according to the plan of US Presidential Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to release some of the kidnapped (prisoners) without committing to ending the war."
He added, "Now, after Hamas agreed to all of Israel's demands, including the return of ten living abductees, without committing to a ceasefire, Tel Aviv is speaking differently about a comprehensive agreement and a ceasefire." The source emphasized that "these are the reasons why the Israeli army is seriously preparing for a new phase of fighting."
Extremist ministers, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, are threatening to withdraw from Netanyahu's government if a deal is reached to halt Israel's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for nearly 23 months.
On Thursday, Israel informed hospital directors in Gaza City of the need to prepare evacuation plans and transfer patients to the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, south of the Strip, according to the same source, in preparation for reoccupation.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza, leaving 62,263 Palestinians dead and 157,365 injured, most of them children and women. More than 9,000 people are missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine has claimed the lives of 273 people, including 112 children.
