North America supports recognition of Palestine and criticises Israel's excesses

A majority of 58% of Americans believe that all United Nations countries should recognise Palestine as a nation, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, while Israel and Hamas consider a possible truce in the war that has lasted almost two years. 

About 33% of those polled disagreed with UN members recognising a Palestinian state, and 9% did not respond. The poll, which lasted six days and ended on Monday, was conducted a few weeks after three countries — Canada, Britain and France, close allies of the United States — announced their intention to recognise the State of Palestine. This increased pressure on Israel as famine spreads in Gaza.  

The poll was conducted in the hope that Israel and Hamas would agree to a ceasefire to halt the fighting, release some hostages and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. Israel announced on Wednesday that it was on alert for the early stages of an assault on Gaza City. 

Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said last week that the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave had reached ‘unimaginable levels,’ while aid groups warned that Gaza's inhabitants were on the brink of starvation. 

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday that Israel was not allowing enough supplies into the Gaza Strip to prevent widespread starvation. Israel has denied responsibility for the starvation in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies. 

A large majority of those polled by Reuters/Ipsos, 65%, said the United States should take action in Gaza to help people facing starvation, while 28% disagreed. 

Among those who disagreed were 41% of President Donald Trump's Republicans. Trump and many of his Republican allies take a ‘America first’ approach to international relations, supporting drastic cuts to the country's international food and medical aid programmes, convinced that US funds should help Americans, not those outside its borders. 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that 59% of Americans believe Israel's military response in Gaza has been ‘excessive.’ Thirty-three percent of those polled disagreed. 

In a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in February 2024, 53% of respondents agreed that Israel's response had been excessive, while 42% disagreed. 

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted online, gathered responses from 4,446 adults across the United States. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted in a UK podcast interview broadcast on Wednesday that Israel has ‘work’ to do to win the support of young people in the West as polls show a collapse in support.  

A recent Gallup poll also showed that only six percent of young people aged 18 to 34 in the United States had a favourable opinion of Netanyahu and only nine percent approved of Israel's military action in Gaza. 

Protests against Israel's actions in Gaza have become increasingly common in capitals across the West, attracting large numbers of young people.