Israelis oppose Iran truce, divided over whether to respect it, poll says

Nearly two-thirds of Israelis oppose the Iran ceasefire but the public is divided over whether Israel should respect the two-week truce or resume attacks on Iran, according to a poll from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The poll was the first national survey of Israelis conducted after the U.S. and Iran agreed last week to a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, the survey's authors said. The two sides failed to reach a broader deal to end the war in weekend talks in Islamabad.

The ceasefire has halted U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, where thousands of people have been killed. But it has not ended a parallel war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the Israeli military has continued deadly bombardment that has killed hundreds of civilians. Hezbollah has continued firing retaliatory rockets at northern Israeli towns.

On Lebanon, more than 61 percent of Israelis believe the truce should not extend to the fighting with Hezbollah, a core demand by Iran in talks with the U.S., according to the poll, conducted by researchers at Hebrew University's Agam Labs.

Asked what Israel should do about Iran, 39 percent said Israel should continue attacks, 41 percent said their country should respect the ceasefire, and 19 percent said they weren't sure, the poll said.

The poll was based on a sample of 1,312 Israelis interviewed from April 9-10, with a margin of error of 3.2 percent.

With the fate of the Iran ceasefire unclear, Israel is digging in for a long, drawn-out conflict across the Middle East.

The public's perception of Israel's military success in Iran holds high stakes for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election due by October that most public opinion polls show he will lose.

Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity for his military's conduct in Gaza, where over 72,000 Palestinians were killed in a two-year genocidal campaign.

According to the Hebrew University poll, Netanyahu's standing among Israelis has decreased since the start of the Iran war, with 34 percent of Israelis preferring him as premier now versus 40 percent at the start of the conflict.