Israelis demand the release of prisoners detained in Gaza (Al Jazeera)
An opinion poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute showed that 51% of Israelis believe that the recovery of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip should be the main goal of the war, in light of ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
According to the poll, 36%, who are from the extreme right, said that the goal of the war should be to destroy the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.
The poll revealed that 71% of Israelis believe that general elections should be held in the country before the scheduled date of November 2026.
A public opinion poll conducted by the Israeli newspaper Maariv published last December showed that 67% of Israelis support a new deal to release prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire, while 22% objected and 11% answered I do not know.
The results of that poll indicated that only 33% of Israelis believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is most suitable for the position of prime minister, compared to 46% who said that Minister in the Military Council, Benny Gantz, is most suitable for this position, and 20% did not give a specific answer.
This comes at a time when regional and international efforts continue to conclude a prisoner exchange deal between the Israeli government and Hamas.
The Hamas movement announced on Thursday that a delegation from it had arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to complete ceasefire talks with Israel.
On Wednesday, Palestinian sources revealed that Hamas had approved a proposed plan for a prisoner exchange and calm in the Gaza Strip, and added a detailed annex to it to implement its stages, stipulating that it be part of the plan.
The sources said that Hamas's response to the Paris Framework proposal submitted to it last week included a plan of 3 stages, each lasting 45 days, during which military operations on both sides would be completely halted and prisoners and bodies would be exchanged.
On the other hand, Netanyahu said that complete victory in Gaza was within reach, and stressed that his government had not committed to any promises regarding the ceasefire deal proposed by the Hamas movement, pointing out that the negotiations were still continuing.
During a press conference held today, Wednesday, Netanyahu renewed his pledge to continue the war until Hamas is eliminated, indicating that achieving Israeli goals in this war is a matter of months, and that there is no going back from victory in it.
Israel estimates that there are about 136 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while it detains at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both parties, but there is no confirmation of the final number from both parties.
Source: Israeli press + agencies