Poll: Majority of Americans Believe Israeli Response in Gaza Has 'Crossed the Line'
A new opinion poll has revealed a shift in American public opinion, with more adult Americans believing that the Israeli military intervention in Palestinian territories is 'excessive' compared to the beginning of the war, amid growing international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The poll, conducted by the Associated Press in collaboration with the Norc Public Affairs Research Institute, showed that 'about half of Americans believe that the Israeli military response in Gaza has crossed the line.' This percentage is higher than that recorded in November 2023, when 40% of participants felt that the Israeli military intervention had 'crossed the line.'
The release of these results coincides with the United Nations Security Council voting today, Thursday, on a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and allowing humanitarian aid to reach the besieged and devastated region.
On the ground, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned of a serious deterioration in the health situation. Tedros stated in a post on 'X': 'The military incursion and evacuation orders in northern Gaza are leading to new waves of displacement, pushing families already suffering from psychological trauma towards an increasingly shrinking area that is unworthy of human dignity.'
He warned that 'hospitals, already under pressure, are on the brink of collapse, while escalating violence hinders access and prevents the World Health Organization from delivering vital supplies.'
In a related context, medical sources reported that the death toll of Palestinians arriving at hospitals in the Gaza Strip since dawn today has risen to 30. According to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (Wafa), '20 martyrs arrived at Al-Shifa Hospital, two martyrs at the Arab Baptist Hospital, one martyr at Al-Quds Hospital, four martyrs at Al-Awda Hospital, and one martyr at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.'
For his part, the spokesperson for the Israeli army for Arab media, Avichai Adraee, announced today the expansion of the fighting, as part of what is called Operation 'Gideon's Chariots 2', indicating that 'a weapons storage facility containing explosives intended for use against the Israel Defense Forces was attacked.'
The Palestinian Press Agency (Safa) reported that 'the occupation army continues its intense bombardment of the city of Gaza amid a lack of information due to the disruption of communications and the internet caused by the occupation forces' attacks.'
Israel is facing increasing international pressure to stop the war that erupted following Hamas's attack on its territory on October 7, 2023. This attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, most of whom were civilians, according to official Israeli data.
More than 65,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip due to the military campaign initiated by the Israeli army following the attack, according to health sector figures in Gaza.
