About 56% of Australians are satisfied with the federal government’s response to the Israel-Gaza war, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.
As federal politicians paused to mark the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks and the Israeli military response, the poll showed a five-point jump in satisfaction with the Labor government’s stance since the question was last asked in August.
In the poll, 1,139 Australian voters were asked to think about the government’s response to the Israel-Gaza war and to select the option closest to their view.
The majority – 56% – chose “I am satisfied with the government’s response”, an increase from the 51% result in the previous poll.
A further 30% of respondents said the government’s response had been “too supportive of Israel” while 14% said the government’s response had been “too harsh on Israel”.
Younger voters were more likely than older voters to view the government’s response as too supportive of Israel – reflecting a generational divide that has also shown up in polling in other western countries.
Monday marked the first anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage – about 100 of whom remain unaccounted for.
At least 41,909 Palestinians have been killed and 97,303 wounded in Gaza since Israel launched its military response to the 7 October attacks, the territory’s health authorities said on Monday, with thousands more likely lost in the rubble.
The Albanese government has repeatedly condemned the Hamas attacks and called for the release of hostages, but it has also urged Israel to adhere to international humanitarian law.
Since December 2023, the government has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Labor has stopped short of calls from the Greens to label Israel’s action as genocide – a claim the Israeli government rejects.
The issue has divided the major Australian political parties over the past year, with the Coalition accusing the government of having “abandoned Israel” for domestic political purposes.
The Greens have accused the government of failing to take meaningful action such as imposing sanctions on members of “the extremist Netanyahu government”.
But the latest Essential poll indicates that about 57% of Coalition voters and 49% of Greens voters are satisfied with the Labor government’s response. Some 61% of Labor voters say the same.
The Essential poll also asked people to select the option closest to their view on Israel’s military action in Gaza. Just 19% of respondents said Israel was justified in continuing its military action in Gaza.
A similar proportion – 18% – believed that Israel should agree to a temporary ceasefire whereas 32% said Israel should permanently withdraw its military action in Gaza.
The remaining 32% of respondents said they were unsure.
