On Saturday, pro-Palestinian protests took place in major cities worldwide, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history, leading to Israel launching its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Saturday, over 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, while more than 9,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the ensuing strikes from Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is “at war” and has cut off food, fuel, electricity, and medicine supplies in Gaza. Israel has called up 360,000 army reservists as it prepares for a likely ground offensive into the territory, which has an estimated population of around 2.3 million. The casualties incurred by Palestinian civilians and their general treatment by the Israeli government and military have generated outpourings of sympathy from many on the world stage. It has also generated heated debate, with some pro-Palestinian voices accusing pro-Israeli voices of overlooking the treatment of Gaza residents, and some on the pro-Israeli side, in turn, accusing the pro-Palestinian side of condoning the actions of Hamas and making statements that have verged into antisemitism.
A Data for Progress poll surveyed 1,329 likely voters nationally about whether or not the United States should call for a ceasefire. The poll revealed that 66% of voters “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” that the U.S. should call for a ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza. According to the poll, 56% of Republicans, 80 percent of Democrats, and 57% of independents back the call for a ceasefire.
