How Americans View The 2-Year Israel-Hamas Conflict
NEW YORK — Two years after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the start of the Jewish state’s military campaign in Gaza, a growing number of Americans are expressing skepticism toward Israel’s actions and the U.S. response to the conflict, according to a new survey.
The Pew Research Center survey, conducted from Sept. 22-28 among 3,445 U.S. adults and released this past Friday, reveals that 39% of Americans now say Israel is going too far in its military operations against Hamas — a significant increase from 27% in late 2023 and 31% just a year ago.
Public opinion of the Israeli government has also declined. Today, 59% of Americans view the Israeli government unfavorably — up from 51% earlier this year. Only 16% say Israel is taking the right approach to the war, while 10% believe it isn’t going far enough. A third of respondents said they were unsure.
READ: After Oct. 7 And 2 Years of War, Hamas Faces Defining Test
The survey also found that an increasing disapproval of President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict. As a result, 42% disapprove of his administration’s response, compared to 30% who approve. About 27% say they are unsure.
The survey was conducted before Israeli and Hamas launched indirect talks on Monday in Egypt. Many uncertainties remain about the plan presented by Trump just last week, including the disarmament of the militant group — a key Israeli demand — and the future governance of Gaza.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people and taking over 240 hostages. It was the deadliest single attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and began a large-scale military campaign in Gaza aimed at dismantling the terror group. The conflict has led to massive destruction and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed or injured, according to local health authorities.
Since March, the share of Americans who said they believe Trump is favoring the Israelis too much has risen from 31% to 36%. At the same time, the percentage saying he is striking the right balance dropped from 29% to 23%.
Though Republicans are far more likely to support Trump’s handling of the two-year conflict, even among GOP voters, the share who believe he favors Israel too heavily has increased.
Americans are also split on the U.S.’s role in aiding the region. Here’s what the study also found:
— 33% said the U.S. is providing too much military assistance to Israel, compared with just 8% who think it's too little.
— Another 23% believe the level is about right, while 35% are unsure.
— On humanitarian aid to Gaza, 35% said the U.S. is not doing enough, 9% say it's doing too much, while 20% believe it is about right. A large segment —35% — remains unsure.
— At the same time, Eight-in-10 Americans express at least some concern about civilian suffering in Gaza, including starvation and deaths from Israeli military strikes.
While majorities in both parties express concern, Democrats are more likely to be alarmed by conditions in Gaza and potential displacement of Palestinians.
Republicans are more concerned about future Hamas attacks on Israel. At the same time, there is no partisan divide on concern for the remaining Israeli hostages.
Americans, according to Pew, continue to draw a distinction between the people and political leaders on both sides of the conflict. Pew found that 56% have a favorable view of the Israeli people — down from 64% in early 2024. At the same time, 52% view the Palestinian people favorably, a figure that has held steady over the past 18 months.
The political divide is particularly stark. The survey found that 70% of Democrats and left-leaning independents have a favorable view of the Palestinian people, compared with just 37% of Republicans.
Meanwhile, 55% of Republicans view the Israeli government favorably, compared to only 18% of Democrats.
Clemente Lisi is executive editor at Religion Unplugged.