Israel-Hamas War Day 195: What's going on in Gaza, Iran?

The US has approved a potential Israeli Rafah operation in exchange for the Jewish state not conducting counterstrikes on Iran, according to a Thursday report from the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.

A senior official told The New Arab that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to obtain American approval for a military operation in Rafah, in exchange for [Israel] refraining from carrying out a wide military operation against Iran in response to its recent attack."

He claimed that "discourse of an Israeli response to Iran contradicts  the desires of the American administration, and is not realistic, given the Israeli claims that the United States played the major role in repelling the Iranian attack and preventing its success."

The source noted that "the IDF carried out airstrikes [overnight on Thursday] on several areas adjacent to the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt," adding that "the relevant officials in Egypt were notified before the execution of some of these strikes, which came in the Philadelphi axis at a space adjacent to the border with Egypt.

Sirens sound in Metulla in Northern Israel.

According to a survey performed by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 74% of the Israeli public opposes an Israeli counter-attack in Iran if it would undermine the security alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and several moderate Arab countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia.  

The survey was conducted by a team of researchers led by Nimrod Nir. Respondents were asked if they think Israel should respond to the Iranian attack on Saturday night, to which 52% answered that it is better not to respond to end the current round of conflict. In comparison, 48% answered that Israel should respond, even if it means that the price would be an extension of the current conflict. 

Respondents were also asked how they believed Israel should respond to Iran’s attack on Saturday night. Of the 48% who support a military response, 25% support an operation on Iranian territory, while over a third support a strategic operation to remove Iran’s nuclear threat. 

When asked if the Israeli government is strong compared to Iran, 46% of the Israeli respondents said that the Israeli government is strong. An equal number of respondents, 27%, said that the Israeli government is weak or responded that the government is neither weak nor strong. 

Over half of Israelis believe Israel should respond to its allies' security demands

Over half of the Israeli public believes that Israel should respond to security demands from its allies, compared to 12% who oppose it. Nearly 60% believe that American aid against Iran’s attack requires Israel to coordinate security with the country.

Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem April 14, 2024. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)

Additionally, 43% of the respondents believe Israel’s allies should also be trusted with arranging security in Gaza and in the West Bank, compared to a quarter of respondents who disagree. A third of respondents declined to answer the question.  

The survey sample was collected between Sunday and Monday through the IPanel company and included 1,466 Israeli respondents aged 18 and older. The sample includes a diverse array of Israeli society in terms of religion, gender, age, area of residence, and voting record in the 25th Knesset elections.