By Brendan Mark Cole

Copyright newsweek

Two-thirds of Israelis want an end to the war in Gaza—an increase of 13 percentage points from a year ago—according to a poll that found the fate of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the main reason for a desire for hostilities to end.

The survey by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) also pointed to growing demands among Israelis for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take responsibility for the Hamas attacks, with nearly half believing he should resign immediately.

Emmanuel Navon, a fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told Newsweek most people in Israel want the war to end, but it depends on what the price will be and whether the war’s goals have been achieved.

Newsweek has contacted Netanyahu’s office for comment.

A demonstration in support of hostages still held by Hamas and calling for an end to the war in Gaza is seen in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 4, 2025. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Why It Matters

As Israelis marked the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, President Donad Trump said Tuesday that “there’s a possibility that we could have peace” after a war in which 67,173 have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The Israel Democracy Institute survey reported by Israeli media comes as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner join Gaza peace plan talks between Israeli and Hamas negotiators in Egypt on Wednesday.

What To Know

The poll of 800 Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, was carried out between September 14 and 18 with a maximum 3.1 percent margin of error. It found that 66 percent of those polled thought the time had come to end the war in Gaza—13 percent higher than at the same time last year. The figure was much larger among Arabs (93 percent) than among Jews (60 percent).

An IDI survey Iast year showed consensus among Arabs that the war should end but among Jews, there has been a reversal in opinion from less than half (45 percent) in September 2024 compared with 60 percent now.

Just over half (50.5 percent) of Jews who believed the war should end gave the reason that continuing the fighting endangers the remaining hostages, while among Arabs, just over a third (34.5 percent) gave this as the main reason.

“Surprisingly, the reason of ending harm to the residents of Gaza and beginning reconstruction of the Gaza Strip ranked only in third place among Arab respondents” the survey said, noting this was below protecting the hostages and the economic and social damage caused.

The main goal of the war in Gaza should be bringing the hostages home, according to 65 percent of the total sample. The share of those who hold this view has risen steadily since January 2024, among both Jews and Arabs.

Navon from the JISS told Newsweek Wednesday that if the hostages are freed, and Hamas agrees to abandon whatever power it still has in Gaza, “most Israelis will agree that the war’s aims have been met and ending the war is now justified.”

“Obviously, after two years of war, most people would say that it’s been very painful to Israeli society and, of course, to all sides,” he said.

The polling also found most Israelis (64 percent) believed that Netanyahu should take responsibility for the October 7 attack and resign, with just under half (45 percent) believing he should do so immediately. Around one fifth (19 percent) said this should not happen until after the war.

Despite warnings from the security establishment before October 7, Netanyahu has avoided taking responsibility for the massacre, The Times of Israel reported. Netanyahu said that the security establishment had failed to prevent the attack and has also refused to authorize a state commission of inquiry into security failures.

Navon said the best way for Netanyahu and the country’s political leadership to account for security and intelligence lapses before the October 7 attacks would be via elections and a national commission of enquiry.

“The political leadership and the military leadership must be accountable to the Israeli public,” Navon added.

Among those who think the war should not be ended, 56 percent said operations must continue to topple and remove Hamas while just over a quarter (28 percent) believe continued fighting is key to freeing the hostages.

Other surveys conducted in Israel have signaled growing public support this year for ending the war. The country’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) found that in January, just under half (49 percent) backed ending the war but this figure had grown to 60 percent by June.