Majority of Israelis Say Netanyahu’s Gov’t Not Doing Enough to Free Captives

Only 30 percent of those polled on Friday believe Israel’s ultimate goal at this stage of the war is to defeat Hamas.

Twenty-two percent said Israel bears sole responsibility for the failure of the exchange negotiations while 48 percent called on War Council Minister Benny Gantz to resign from the cabinet immediately.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, when Hamas and other Palestinian groups launched a surprise attack on Southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking at least 240 people hostage.

On May 6, Hamas announced it accepted a Gaza cease-fire proposal drawn by Egypt and Qatar. Israel, however, said the terms accepted by Hamas did not match those that Israel had approved, and decided to launch its offensive on Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which is believed to be holding nearly 130 Israeli hostages, demands an end to Israel’s offensive on Gaza in return for any hostage swap.

Tel Aviv currently holds at least 9,100 Palestinian prisoners in its jails, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Association.

Under a deal in November, 105 hostages were released in return of a week-long truce and some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.