Poll: Israelis skeptical of PM Gaza victory claim
A Palestinian boy walks on the rubble of Omar Ibn Abed Al-Aziz mosque, which was hit by an Israeli strikes in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. AP
JERUSALEM — A new poll has shown that a majority of Israelis are skeptical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Israel achieved a “great military and political” victory over Hamas in the latest round of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The poll, published in Thursday’s Haaretz newspaper, shows that 54 percent of those surveyed believe there was no clear winner the 50 days of war. The fighting killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and 69 Israelis.
The poll questioned 464 Israelis on Wednesday and had a margin of error of 4.6 percent. Later that night, Netanyahu said in a televised speech that Israel dealt Hamas “a heavy blow.”
Calm has prevailed since the two sides agreed this week to an open-ended truce, settling for an ambiguous interim agreement in exchange.
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