TEL AVIV, October 27. /TASS/. Support for a potential ground offensive in the Gaza Strip among Israelis has more than halved from 65% to 29% over the past week, a recent public opinion poll published by the Israeli daily showed.

This week, only 29% of respondents said that Israel should launch a large-scale ground operation in Gaza, while their share was 65% a week ago. In addition, 49% of Israelis support postponing the move against the Palestinian enclave. The change was likely prompted by the emergence of the issue of people abducted by Hamas in public discussions, the newspaper said.

As many as 522 adults aged over 18 years were polled on October 25-26, with a margin error of 4.3%.

On October 20, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (IQB, the military wing of Hamas) announced the Qatar-brokered release of two female US civilians.

The Israeli army has information about 224 people being held hostage by Hamas. According to Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, there are at least three Russian nationals among the hostages.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again on October 7 when Hamas militants launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel declared a total siege of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.