More Americans now want US to play role in diplomatically resolving Israel-Hamas war
FILE-Israeli soldiers walk among portraits of people taken captive or killed by Hamas militants during the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023, during a visit at the site where the deadly incident took place near Kibbutz Reim in southern Isra
As the world marks one year since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israelis held somber ceremonies Monday to remember the deadliest attack in the country’s history.
But Hamas marked the anniversary by firing a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of its ally Hamas, fired new barrages despite its recent losses, the Associated Press reported.
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The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in a slight shift in attitudes among Americans, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in September, as well as previous surveys from the organization on the conflict.
According to the survey, 61% of Americans say the U.S. should play a role in diplomatically resolving the Israel-Hamas war. Still, more Americans want the U.S. to play a minor role (37%) than a major one (24%). And 19% said they would prefer for the U.S. to play no diplomatic role at all, and 19% are unsure.
Among political parties, Republicans remain more likely than Democrats to say the U.S. should not play any role in resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict (25% vs. 13%), but shifts have taken place within both parties.
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According to the survey, the number of people who take that stance has decreased in both parties, falling by seven percentage points on the Republican side and eight points among Democrats.
Meanwhile, 30% of Democrats now want the U.S. to play a key role, up from 25% in February. The share of Republicans who say this is up three points (from 16% to 19%).
The study also noted that three-in-ten Americans (31%) say Israel’s current military operation against Hamas is going too far, while 12% say it is not going far enough and 20% say it is taking the right approach. But reams of Americans (36%) said they are unsure about Israel’s handling of the conflict.
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And when religious groups were asked this question, 71% of U.S. Muslims said Israel’s military operation is going too far, while 9% think Israel is taking the right approach and 3% say it has not gone far enough. The remaining 17% are unsure
But Jewish Americans were divided on Israel military operations, with 28% saying Israel’s military operation is going too far, while 24% say it has not gone far enough, 32% adding it is taking the right approach, while 13% are unsure, per the Pew Research study.
The Pew Research Center used data from a survey conducted in September and previous surveys from the organization on the Israel-Hamas conflict. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.
What happened on Oct. 7, 2023?
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis, taking 250 people hostage and setting off a war with Israel that has shattered much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians. It says more than half were women and children.
In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to Hezbollah, which holds much of its power in parts of southern Lebanon and some other areas of the country, attacking the militants with exploding pagers, airstrikes and, eventually, incursions into Lebanon.
How many hostages remain in Gaza?
Of the 250 hostages taken on Oct. 7, nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American and one of the most recognizable faces of the devastating hostage crisis, was found dead with five other hostages on Aug. 31. His parents have said they hope Goldber-Polin’s death can be a global symbol for peace.