69% of Israelis support assassinations even if cease-fire in Gaza delayed: Poll

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - As many as 69% of Israelis support targeted assassinations even if they result in delaying a cease-fire and prisoner-hostage exchange deal with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, a new poll has found.

The survey was conducted by the Lazar Institute and published by the daily Maariv on Friday.

Only 19% of the respondents disagreed, while 12% had no definite opinion.

The survey sampled 510 Israelis with a margin of error of 4.4%.

Israel has continued its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border incursion by Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people and around 250 others were taken as hostages. Since then, it has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, levelled the territory and left most of the people hungry and homeless.

Hamas political chief Ismael Haniyeh was assassinated during a visit to the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday. Israel has not commented on his death directly.

Hours earlier, the Israeli military killed Fouad Shukr, a Hezbollah commander in Beirut, and has also claimed eliminating Hamas commander Mohammad Deif and Islamic Jihad movement official Mohammad al-Jaabari.

Talks for the cease-fire and hostage exchange, which continued through mediators the US, Qatar and Egypt, appear to have stalled after the attacks in Beirut and Tehran.

Regarding the Israeli government, 41% of the respondents preferred opposition leader Benny Gantz as prime minister, compared to 39% who supported the current premier, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Based on the survey results, if elections are held today, neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition led by Yair Lapid would be able to form a government on their own.

The opposition would secure 58 seats, Netanyahu's bloc 52, and Arab parties 10 seats. Support from 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset is required to form a government.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi