JERUSALEM, March 20 (Xinhua) -- A survey, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU), found a sharp increase in the rate of Israelis supporting a deal with Hamas to release Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
HU said in a statement on Wednesday that about half of the survey's 3,227 participants supported the deal, which also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners and halting the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, while only 20 percent opposed it.
The survey, conducted between March 4 and 11, showed a significant turnaround compared to a previous survey conducted by HU in mid-February, which registered a 45-percent majority against such a deal, and only 33 percent supporting it.
The researchers attributed the change to the fact that the previous survey was conducted shortly after the Israeli army released two hostages in Rafah, raising hopes for more release operations.
As news emerged over time about the death of several hostages, public confidence in the Israeli army's efficacy to bring the hostages home may have diminished, and concerns about escalation on Israel's northern border may have led people to view this as the last chance for a deal, according to the researchers. ■
