- September 18, 2025
- 6:56 pm
- World News
Washington is experiencing growing international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Unpleasant changes in public opinion are being recorded: more and more Americans consider Israel’s military actions excessive compared to the beginning of the conflict, writes www.timesofisrael.com on September 18, 2025.
This is evidenced by data from a new poll conducted by the AP-NORC research center.
About 50% of respondents expressed the opinion that Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza have “gone too far,” whereas in November 2023, it was 40%. The mentioned poll was conducted shortly after Hamas launched an invasion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, taking the lives of about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians.
Amid these changes, another trend persists: Americans, especially Republicans, are less likely to consider the need for ceasefire negotiations a priority for the US authorities than a few months ago when active negotiations with Hamas were underway.
Changing Views of Americans
Changes in Americans’ attitudes towards Israel’s actions are occurring against the backdrop of an expanded ground operation in Gaza. The Jewish state is facing increasing international criticism, as a team of independent experts from the UN Human Rights Council announced this week that they concluded Israel committed “genocide,” which Israel categorically disagrees with.
The military operation against Hamas has caused significant damage to Gaza, displacing about 90% of its population and causing a catastrophic humanitarian situation. According to Gaza’s health ministry, controlled by Hamas, the number of “Palestinian casualties has exceeded 65,000,” but these figures cannot be verified, and the statistics do not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Attitudes of Different Groups
According to the poll, attention to the suffering of civilians is growing among Americans of all political camps. About 70% of Democrats now note that Israel’s military actions have “gone too far,” while in November, 58% held this opinion. Almost half of independents also support this view, compared to 40% earlier.
The ongoing war prompts many to think about humanitarian aid. 45% of American adults believe that the importance of providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza is “extremely high” or “high,” which is similar to the opinion at the beginning of the conflict, although this figure has slightly increased from 41% in March.
Ceasefire Negotiations
Despite the growing opinion that Israel is “overstepping,” the demand for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire does not seem as relevant amid the war hysteria. The funds provided by the US are increasingly seen as less critical for mediating negotiations.
52% of Americans believe that the importance of negotiations for a permanent ceasefire is “extremely high” or “high,” which is significantly lower than 59% in March of this year.
The Situation in Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the war will continue until “Hamas is destroyed and the remaining hostages are freed.” He last approved an attack on Hamas targets in Qatar, which resulted in the deaths of several of its members, although the action did not achieve its goal.
Americans, from different political positions, express concerns about the consequences for Israel’s economy and its status in the world. Support for Trump’s actions regarding the conflict has noticeably decreased to 37% from 44% in March.
Support for Humanitarian Aid
The poll also revealed reduced support for military aid to Israel. Only 20% of Americans believe it is important to provide aid to fight Hamas, which is a significant decrease from 36% at the start of the conflict. This is particularly noted among Democrats: support fell from 30% to 15%.
It is noted that it is difficult to justify spending on supporting Israel’s military when the Trump administration is calling for cuts in healthcare and social programs. This creates additional debates about the appropriateness of military aid.