A majority of Israelis believe the time has come to end the war in Gaza, with the top reason being the endangerment of hostages, according to a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute released on Monday, as negotiations were set to begin on the first stage of US President Donald Trump’s peace proposal.

The survey found that 66 percent of Israelis say the time has come to end the war — a figure 13 points higher than the result from a year ago when respondents were asked the same question — compared to 27% who think or are certain that the time has not yet come, and 7% who are unsure.

The top reason both Jewish (50.5%) and Arab Israeli (34.5%) respondents gave that the war should end is the endangerment of the hostages.

Among those who think the war should not be ended, 56% of respondents say operations must continue “to topple and remove Hamas,” while 28% believe continued fighting is key to freeing the hostages.

Other reasons include ensuring Jewish settlements are built in Gaza (6.5%), revenge for the October 7, 2023, massacre that sparked the war (4%), and preventing Prime Minister........

© The Times of Israel