Nearly three-quarters of Americans support Israel's planned military operation to enter the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.
The survey found that 72% of Americans say Israel should "move forward with an operation in Rafah to finish the war with Hamas," while 28% say the Jewish state should "back off now and allow Hamas to continue running Gaza."
In saying Israel should move forward with its planned operation, the majority acknowledged that "there will be casualties" despite Israel "doing its best to avoid civilian casualties."
Among those who say they're following Israel closely, 77% favor moving forward in Rafah, while 63% of those who say they're not following the Jewish state favor moving forward.
Eighty-four percent of those 65 and older say they support Israel's plans for a military operation, while three-quarters of those 55-64 say they support them. Seven in 10 of those 45-54 and 35-44 say they support Israel moving forward with its campaign. Among those 25-34, 65% say Israel should move forward into Rafah, and 57% of those 18-24 said the same.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israel Defense Forces will enter Rafah regardless of whether Hamas accepts the latest hostage deal proposed by Israel.
"The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question," Netanyahu said. "We will enter Rafah, and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal – in order to achieve the total victory."
The Biden administration has been warning Israel against a major military operation in Rafah, as more than a million Palestinians have fled there to escape fighting further north in Gaza. White House and U.S. officials said the topic was discussed during a phone call between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday he would use his current Middle East trip to press Israeli leaders to do more to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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