'People are waking up': Majority of Americans oppose Israel's war in Gaza

The majority of Americans oppose Israel's actions in Gaza, according to a poll released this month showing growing disapproval of the nearly six-month-long military campaign on the small enclave.

The poll, conducted by Gallup, shows a 10 per cent increase in American public disapproval of Israel's military actions, compared with one released in November.

The research, conducted between 1 and 20 March, shows a marked shift in public opinion. Seeing an even bigger shift is Americans' approval of Israel's conduct in the war, dropping from 50 per cent in November to 36 per cent in March.

Unsurprisingly, this comes as there are other signs showing a drop in US public support for Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Most of the largest US cities have passed ceasefire resolutions, and around 80 US Congress members have called for a cessation in hostilities.

Broken down by the two major political parties, the majority of Republicans — 64 per cent, down from 71 per cent in November — still support Israel's military actions, while 18 per cent of Democrats do, down from 36 per cent.

For Kobi Guillory, a Black ally who is a co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, this news of US public opinion comes as no surprise.

"For me, it's not new information. We've been seeing mobilisations all over the country — tens of thousands of people mobilising in the South, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco," he told The New Arab.

"People who were aware of the situation have always opposed it. I think more people are waking up as time goes on and more people are clarifying their position, where they might have been on the fence before," he said.

The poll was taken before this week's United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, showing that many Americans had already confirmed their position on the war prior to the international condemnation (in which the US abstained from voting).

This new research comes as Israel is reportedly preparing to enter Rafah, where around 1.5 million internally displaced Gazans are sheltering as daily shelling by the Israeli army continues.

So far, more than 33,000 Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been killed since the conflict broke out on 7 October, when Hamas led a surprise attack on Israeli military bases and settlements within and around the Gaza envelope, killing around 1,200. 

Many have criticised Israel's use of force as disproportionate. As the war wears on, reports of Palestinian deaths by dehydration and malnutrition are increasing. Multiple human rights groups have described Israel's actions as genocide.