By Sarah Katz, September 21, 2026

Three years after Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, a growing share of Israeli Jews no longer wants any part of Gaza returned to Palestinian hands. New polling from the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) shows support for extended Israeli military rule over the Strip climbing sharply over the past year, even as most Israelis remain doubtful that any deal to disarm Hamas will actually hold.

The JPPI Israeli Society Index for September 2026, based on interviews conducted September 1-3 with 663 Jewish and 206 Arab respondents, found that 36% of Israeli Jews now “generally agree” that Israel should occupy the entire Gaza Strip and administer it through the IDF for at least several years, up from 27% one year earlier. Add those who say they “might agree,” and 55% of Israeli Jews are somewhere on the spectrum of accepting extended occupation. Only 40% remain opposed “under any circumstances,” a figure that has held steady even as the undecided middle shifted toward acceptance.