71% of Israelis support operation against Lebanon: Maariv poll

A survey conducted by the right-leaning Israeli publication Maariv revealed that a significant majority, 71% of Israeli citizens, support the idea of carrying out a major military operation against Lebanon. Additionally, the poll found that 12% of respondents favor maintaining the current status quo at the Lebanon-Israel border, while 17% did not express an opinion on the issue.

Tensions have escalated between Hezbollah and Israel, leading to almost daily exchanges of fire across the border since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7. The conflict intensified, marking Wednesday as the deadliest day in over four months of fighting, with the death toll including 10 civilians and five Hezbollah members, one of whom was a commander.

In response, Hezbollah launched a significant number of rockets at the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona located in the northern region of Israel on Thursday. The Israeli military attributed its Wednesday airstrikes to retaliatory measures following rocket attacks from Lebanon, which resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier and injuries to seven others at the Israeli military’s northern command center in Safad.

According to AFP’s count, the ongoing conflict has resulted in at least 268 fatalities on the Lebanese side, including many Hezbollah fighters and 40 civilians. On the Israeli side, the conflict has claimed the lives of 10 soldiers and six civilians, as reported by the Israeli military.

The hostilities have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. Amidst the ongoing indirect talks aimed at reaching a political resolution, Israel has repeatedly cautioned that it may resort to using force against Hezbollah to ensure the safe return of its residents.