Most Americans Disapprove of Israel's Military Actions in Gaza, Poll Reveals

A Gallup poll this month has revealed that 55 percent of Americans oppose Israel's military offensive, marking a 10 percent increase since November 2023.

Most Americans oppose Israel’s military operations in Gaza, with support falling from 50 percent in November to 36 percent this month, according to a new poll.

In the latest Gallup survey conducted between March 1 and 20, 55 percent of US respondents said they oppose Israel’s offensive — a 10 percent increase from four months earlier. Roughly nine percent expressed indifference towards the issue.

Support for Israel's military action in Gaza reveals a stark partisan divide, with 64 percent of Republicans backing the war, compared to only 18 percent of Democrats.

Both parties have witnessed a decline in support since November, when 71 percent of Republicans and 36 percent of Democrats were in favor of the military campaign. Support among independents also fell significantly during the same period, falling from 47 percent to 29.

Gallup's findings show increasing dissatisfaction among Americans towards Israeli policy in Gaza over the past five months. Gaza health officials and the United Nations report that over 32,000 Palestinians, including nearly 14,000 children, have died in Gaza since the conflict broke out.

In January 2024, an AP-NORC poll showed that half of American adults believed Israel's military response in Gaza had "gone too far," up from four in 10 in November. Public disapproval rose across political party lines, with Republicans gaining 15 points, independents 13, and Democrats five.

A recent Pew Research Center survey in February revealed that 58% of Americans consider Israel’s reasons for fighting Hamas valid, but the way Israel is carrying out its response to Hamas’ October 7 attack has a more mixed evaluation. Only about 38% of US adults think Israel’s conduct of the war has been acceptable.

Anger over Gaza's mounting death toll is resulting in disapproval of President Joe Biden's handling of the crisis. This month, Chuck Schumer, US Senate majority leader, called for new elections in Israel, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza.”

The Biden administration’s belated shift after nearly six months of Israel’s military actions in Gaza shows growing unwillingness to unconditionally support Tel Aviv.

After blocking three draft resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire, the US recently introduced a resolution that didn't pass at the UN Security Council due to strong opposition from Russia and China. The document contained certain provisions that potentially allowed Israel to continue its military operations.

On March, 22, Russia's UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Washington of trying to "sell a product" to the Security Council by including the term "imperative," while the draft was "deliberately misleading the international community."

"If this resolution had been adopted, it would have definitively closed the discussion on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, it would have untied Israel's hands and sentenced Gaza and its entire population to destruction or expulsion," Nebenzia told the council.