TEHRAN – Survey reveals nearly half of Israelis believe military force alone cannot defeat Hamas in Gaza.

According to the poll, 49% of respondents said it is not possible to both secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza and remove Hamas from power.

The survey was conducted by the “Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research”, which claims to hold the most comprehensive database of Israeli public opinion surveys.

In contrast, 46% of respondents said they “believe or are certain” that both goals, freeing the hostages and toppling Hamas, can be achieved.

When asked to choose which objective they prioritized, 68% of Israelis said the recovery of hostages should take precedence, while only 25% prioritized the removal of Hamas. 

This trend has grown over time. The same survey conducted in January 2025 and September 2023 shows increasing support for hostage recovery and declining support for the removal of Hamas.

Currently, around 59 Israeli captives remain in Gaza. Israeli military estimates suggest that 35 of them have been killed during the ongoing bombardment and siege of the Gaza enclave.

Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, recently issued a statement saying, “If the enemy is truly concerned about the lives of these hostages, they must negotiate immediately for their release or evacuation. Consider this a final warning.” 

He blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for the hostages’ fate, saying, “Had they cared about them, they would have honored the January agreement. Most of the prisoners could have been home by now.”

More than a year and a half into the U.S.-backed genocidal war on Gaza, Israeli forces have failed to recover any hostages through military action. All those released so far have been freed through ceasefire deals.

The most recent ceasefire began on January 19, 2025, but collapsed on March 18 following Israeli airstrikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians in a single day.

Netanyahu has faced widespread accusations of prolonging the U.S.-backed genocide to maintain his grip on power amid threats from coalition partners to topple the cabinet. 

Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance groups have resumed guerrilla-style operations against Israeli occupation forces.

Despite continued military efforts, Israeli media report that only 25% of Gaza’s tunnel network, considered key to Hamas’s military strength, has been dismantled.

Reuters reported on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump has said progress is being made on the return of the hostages and that he was “dealing with both Israel and Hamas”, but did not elaborate on the talks.