According to Israel's Channel 12 poll published on November 16, if elections in the country were held today, the Netanyahu-led coalition would get only 45 seats in the Knesset, while the opposition bloc would clinch as many as 70% of the seats.
The survey also found that nearly 45% of respondents would prefer to see Benny Gantz, a retired army general serving as minister without portfolio since 2023, as the country's prime minister, while only 25% would vote for Netanyahu.
"Support for the Netanyahu-led government is very low — less than 20%. The level of army support is very high - more than 90% at the moment. With a low rating, you cannot start a war and you cannot end a war, you can only continue the war," Zeev Khanin, an Israeli political expert at the Department of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan, told Sputnik.
The fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas combatants was halted on Friday for the first time in seven weeks in a temporary truce ahead of the planned release of Israeli hostages held by the militants in exchange for jailed Palestinians.
There is a lot of uncertainty, international pressure and pressure from the hostages' families on the government that led to a tentative four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the expert said.
"We surely must use all means to free as many hostages as possible. On the other hand, the lower rating means that Netanyahu will have to score points at the national level. Among Israelis, the level of support for the continuation of the military operation against Hamas is unprecedented. He knows that," Khanin said.
Israeli TV host, editor and screenwriter Vladimir Beyder echoed Khanin's remarks in an interview with Sputnik, saying that Israelis support a conditional humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to free the hostages, but would demand that the war against Hamas continue despite increased international pressure.
"We all hope that the war against Hamas will be carried on. In Israel, we do not support an unconditional ceasefire. Daily humanitarian pauses should have a limited character to free the hostages. The Israelis will not approve of ending the war at this stage," he said.
However, Beyder argued that political motives, including Netanyahu's attempt to avoid being held accountable for the October 7 failures and save his position, would play a key role in the decision to continue the war or declare a truce.
"When it comes to the security of the country, political motives take a back seat," he said.
According to recent polls, 70-80% of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign after the war for failing to prevent the Hamas attack.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing around 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. More than 14,800 people have been killed in Gaza since then.
Earlier in the week, Israel and Hamas had agreed to a four-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with the cessation of all hostilities and the release of 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. The truce began Friday morning.