A new survey has just highlighted a remarkable consensus within the Israeli company concerning the fate of the hostages held in Gaza. According to this survey unveiled by the forum of hostage and missing families, the vast majority of Israelis consider the return of captives as a sine qua non condition for any victory in the current conflict.
The figures are eloquent: 84.8% of those questioned believe that it is impossible to claim a victory in Gaza without the repatriation of all hostages. Even more significant, 62.3% of respondents place the return of hostages as a primary objective of the conflict, even if it means suspending military operations to achieve it, against only 26.3% which favor the total defeat of Hamas at all costs.
“The popular will is unequivocal,” said the press release from the Family Forum. “The Israelis choose the hostages above all. Their return represents a necessary condition for a real Israeli victory. Without this, no national renaissance or collective healing will be possible.”
-The investigation also addresses the strategic question of knowing whether Hamas can be defeated without the prior release of the hostages. On this point, 57.7% of respondents respond in the negative, believing that the two objectives are inseparable, against 28.1% who think that a military victory remains possible without the return of captives.
This massive position of public opinion comes in a context of national debate on the strategy to adopt against Hamas. The hostage families take the opportunity to directly challenge the authorities: “Israeli society is united on the question of hostages and agrees that their return is the most urgent national mission.”
This survey carried out by the Midgam Institute in April 2025 with 500 participants from the Israeli Jewish population thus strengthens the legitimacy of the calls to prioritize negotiations for the return of hostages, several dozen of which are always detained in Gaza since their abduction during the attack on October 7.
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