> Israelis Prefer Military Action Against Hamas
> May 26, 2008
>
> (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Israel want their military
> forces to continue to fight Hamas instead of seeking a truce, according to a
> poll by Maagar Mochot released by Israel Radio. 56 per cent of respondents
> want the government to continue the war against the Palestinian militant
> organization, while 33 per cent would prefer a ceasefire agreement.
> Additionally, 49 per cent of respondents think the Israeli Defence Forces
> (IDF) should try to eliminate the Hamas leaders immediately, and 51 per cent
> would support a large-scale IDF land operation in Gaza to crack down on
> Hamas militants.
>
> Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas won the January 2005 presidential ballot in
> the Palestinian Territories with 62.32 per cent of all cast ballots. In
> January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election,
> securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
> officially took over as prime minister in March. The Israeli government
> believes Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of 377 citizens in a ...