Nearly a third of Lebanese citizens favor joining Hamas in its war against Israel, according to new polling data on Lebanese attitudes toward the war. The results were published in the Beirut-based Lebanese news organization Al Akhbar on Monday.
The survey was conducted by the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation.
The poll found broad support for the Hamas terror operation it called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” Of the 400 individuals polled, a group consisting of 194 women and 206 men, 80% supported the operation.
Additionally, the survey asked respondents what do they believe Lebanon should do “in the face of the Israeli aggression on Gaza?”
The overwhelming majority, 77%, responded in favor of “political, media, and popular condemnation.”
Aggressive measures Lebanon could pursue against Israel
Many, however, were also in favor of additional, more aggressive measures.
Over half of respondents (52%) supported engaging Israel in operations at the border, as Hezbollah has been doing.
Further, nearly a third of survey respondents (32%) were in favor of opening the southern front, which is Israel’s northern front, and joining Hamas in battle against the Jewish state.
There were, however, differences in attitude between the various religious and ethnic groups polled.
For instance, while “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” received the support of almost all Lebanese Shi'ite Muslims (98%), support decreased to 86% among both Lebanese Sunni Muslims and Druze.
Among Christians, support for the operation fell to 60%.
Similarly, the group who wished to condemn Israel was comprised of 97% of Shi'ite respondents, 84% of Sunni respondents, 55% of Christian respondents, and 75% of Druze respondents.
Also, there were significant differences between the groups concerning support for “immediately opening the southern front.”
This option was supported by half of the Shi'ites, roughly a third of the Sunni, 40% of the Druze, and around 13% of the Christian respondents.
Concerning which party was responsible for the escalation of the conflict in the region, a larger portion of respondents blamed the US than blamed Israel.
Nearly half of respondents (47%) blamed the US compared to a third (34%) who blamed Israel. Another 13% blamed Iran and only 5% blamed Hamas.
The publication of the survey results coincided with a day of exchanges of fire between Israel and terrorist groups in Lebanon.
On Monday, repeated rocket launches from Lebanese territory aimed at Israeli communities and IDF positions drew a series of subsequent IDF responses targeting the source of the fire.
During the day, Hezbollah said that one of its members had been killed by Israeli strikes.