A majority of Britons oppose Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with many describing the actions as genocide, according to a new YouGov poll commissioned by Action for Humanity and the International Centre for Justice for Palestinians.
The survey found that 55% of the public oppose Israel’s actions in Gaza, with only 15% expressing support. Among those opposed, 82% believe Israel’s actions amount to genocide, translating to 45% of all U.K. adults holding this view.
Support for this perspective is particularly pronounced among Labour voters.
Of those who voted Labour in the 2024 general election, 68% oppose Israel’s actions, and of that group, 87% believe it constitutes genocide. This equates to 59% of Labour voters identifying the situation as genocidal.
The poll also highlights widespread public backing for the enforcement of international legal measures.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Britons say the U.K. should enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit the U.K. Among Labour voters, support for enforcement rises sharply to 78%, with just 5% opposed.
The data also shows growing support for Palestinian statehood, showing 30% of Britons support immediately recognizing Palestine as an independent state, with only 10% opposed.
An additional 19% believe recognition should come when the time is right. Among Labour voters, 43% support immediate recognition, and 21% back recognition at a later stage.
Just 2% of Labour voters oppose recognition altogether.
Humanitarian responses to the crisis in Gaza also receive strong backing. A proposed visa scheme for Palestinians, similar to the “Homes for Ukraine” initiative, is supported by 56% of Labour voters, compared to 27% opposed.
Othman Moqbel, CEO of Action For Humanity, said: “Despite the misinformation to whitewash war crimes being committed in Gaza, the British public are not being fooled.”
“This poll shows that the government’s failure to recognize the scale of the crimes being inflicted upon Gaza is not just putting them on the wrong side of history; it’s putting them on the wrong side of the present day,” he noted.
Jonathan Purcell, senior public affairs officer for the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, said:
“This poll shows what we already know: the U.K. government is totally out of touch with the British public it is supposed to represent, and the Labour party is even more out of touch with its own voters.”
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