Half of Israelis oppose proposed hostage deal with Hamas in return for Gaza cease-fire

By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) – Half of Israelis oppose a proposed deal with Hamas to secure the release of 35 Israeli hostages in return for a 45-day cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, a new survey found on Wednesday.

The survey, conducted by Israeli Channel 12, showed that 35% of Israelis support such a deal with Hamas, while 15% did not give an opinion.

The White House said Monday that negotiators seeking to broker a deal for the release of additional hostages held by Hamas have developed a “framework” that could lead to an eventual deal.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the proposal includes the release of 35 Israeli hostages in return for a 6-week cease-fire in Gaza and the release of thousands of Palestinian detainees.

Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

The poll also found that 72% of respondents said humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip should be halted until the Israeli hostages are released.

When asked if humanitarian aid should be allowed into Gaza, 72% of respondents said "yes" against 21%.

The survey showed that if elections were held today, the Blue and White Party led by former Defense Minister and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz would have obtained 37 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, up from the current 12 seats it holds.

In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party would get 18 seats, down from its current 32 seats in the Knesset.

Similarly, opposition leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid (There is a Future) Party would win 14 seats from its current 24 seats, the poll showed.

Currently, parties supporting Netanyahu hold 64 Knesset seats with at least 61 members must express their confidence to form a government.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Ankara