The vast majority of Israelis, 80%, believe that Benjamin Netanyahu should publicly admit responsibility for the fiasco that led to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, according to a poll published in the Maariv newspaper and conducted over two days October 18-19.

The leadership of the Israeli armed forces and Shin Bet internal security services have already taken their responsibilities, as have the defense and finance ministers.

80% of Israelis think Benjamin Netanyahu should follow, including 69% of Likud party voters. Only 8% of Israelis do not think they should be held accountable.

When asked who is more suitable for prime minister, 49% choose the leader of the National Unity party Benny Gantz and only 28% choose Netanyahu. The rest appear as undecided.

As for the war in Gaza, 65% support a ground attack on the Gaza Strip, compared to 21% who appear opposed.

In addition, 51% of Israelis support a large-scale military operation on the northern front following the Israeli army’s clashes with Hezbollah and Hamas on Israel’s border with Lebanon, while 30% favor a limited-scale operation.

Asked “what would you vote for if elections were held today?”, Israelis give the ruling coalition just 43 seats (out of 64), while Benny Gantz’s party gets 40 seats, up from 12 today.