Americans across the political spectrum remain broadly supportive of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, according to the most recent Harvard-Harris poll of American voters, but opinions about the war are still dependent on age, with a large contingent of young Americans declaring support for Hamas over Israel.
The overwhelming majority (91%) of Americans follow the war, and 64% say they follow it closely. A majority of both Democrats and Republicans support the United States providing military aid to Israel. This consistency stands in contrast to opinions about funding the war in Ukraine, which are sharply divided along party lines.
A large majority (79%) of American voters say that they support Israel more than Hamas, but a fifth support Hamas over Israel, including about 36% of those 18-34.
Of those 18-24, a majority (57%) support an immediate ceasefire that would leave everyone in place, including Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas. In comparison, a large minority (43%) of respondents that age say a ceasefire should happen only after the release of all hostages and Hamas’s removal from power.
For those 25-44, opinions on an immediate ceasefire are split, while a clear majority of those 45 and above believe a ceasefire should only happen once hostages are returned and Hamas is removed.
Young voters split on whether Hamas must be removed
Asked who was more to blame for creating the crisis, Israel or Hamas, young people (18-44) were split almost exactly down the middle, while older respondents 45 and above responded in clear majorities that Hamas was responsible.
Asked whether the terror group should be allowed to continue running Gaza, those 18-24 were almost split, with 46% saying the group should be.
Among those 25-34, however, a majority (about 62%) said that Hamas must be removed; that belief was strongly pronounced among those 45-54, 83% of whom said the group should be removed. Among those older than 55, upward of 90% said Hamas cannot remain in power.
Two-thirds of Americans believe Israel is trying to avoid civilian casualties, while about one-third say Israel is not trying to, a figure that is relatively consistent across age groups.