62% of Israelis don't trust 'absolute victory' over Hamas possible

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 May 2024 18:23
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The Wall Street Journal attributes the shift in opinion to the new developments in Gaza where the Israeli occupation army is being forced to relaunch offensives in areas previously considered "under control".

Resistance fighters of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades take part in a military gathering in Gaza on January 31, 2016 (AFP)

A new opinion poll conducted by the Israeli Midgam Institute indicates that about two-thirds of the Israeli public do not believe in the entity's ability to achieve the objective of "eliminating" Hamas, marking a complete shift from a similar study conducted last January.

Since day one of the war on Gaza, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that, along with bringing back the captives, the main goal of the war is to end Hamas and achieve an "absolute victory" against the Resistance in the Strip.

But almost eight months into the genocidal war on Gaza, "Israel" has yet to reach the captives, defeat the Resistance, reduce its influence, or effectively harm its capabilities. Meanwhile, political and social rifts are widening, risking the collapse of the emergency government and paralyzing the war cabinet.

Meanwhile, the dire Israeli situation on the northern front with Hezbollah has left tens of thousands of Israeli settlers unable to return to their settlements, as the Lebanese Resistance continues its daily operation against military bases and sites at an escalatory rate.

Published by The Wall Street Journal, the Midgam report showed that 62% of Israelis no longer believe that the entity is capable of achieving "absolute victory", while 27% still consider it realistic.

The newspaper noted that over 220 days after the start of the war on Gaza, the belief of the Israeli public in the ability of the Israeli army to achieve the objectives of the military war is weakening, specifically in terms of overthrowing the authority of Hamas in the Strip and recovering all captives.

The survey was conducted under notably different circumstances this time around, the WSJ said.

The Israeli military found itself today repeatedly being forced to launch new offensives in areas previously deemed "under control," after Resistance fighters remerged directly after the occupation's withdrawal.

Fierce confrontations are still underway, especially in Jabalia, indicating that the Resistance still maintains significant capabilities in the strategic parts of Gaza. Additionally, "Israel" launched an invasion into Rafah earlier this month without identifying the clear goals of the operation and leaving its army overstretched in battles across the Strip and in a continuous loop of war since last October.

In contrast, back in January, the occupation army was still deeply embroiled in intense Gaza-wide combat. During that period, it regularly touted purported achievements, leading the Israeli public to believe that the war's conclusion was imminent, which was far from the truth.