Key Points
- Some 45 per cent of survey respondents supported a Palestinian state in Australia, with 23 per cent opposed.
- It marks an increase in support since May 2024.
- Israel's security cabinet is expected to meet to finalise a decision on the expansion of Israel's offensive in Gaza.
A new poll has found rising support among Australians for formal recognition of Palestinian statehood.
The survey from DemosAU found that 45 per cent of respondents supported Australia recognising a Palestinian state before a negotiated peace agreement, with 23 per cent opposed. Levels of support were highest among those aged 18-34 at 57 per cent, while people aged 55+ were more likely to be opposed, at 28 per cent.
Over 1,000 people responded to an online survey, which showed women were more likely to respond that they were unsure, at 39 per cent, compared to 25 per cent of men.
It marks an increase in support since May 2024, when a separate poll from the same firm found 35 per cent of Australians supported recognition of a Palestinian state, with 22 per cent opposed.
The Albanese government has stated its intention to recognise Palestinian statehood but has laid out several preconditions, including the demilitarisation of Hamas, before committing.
The poll comes as Israeli media reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene his security cabinet on Thursday to finalise a decision on the expansion of Israel's offensive in Gaza.
He has said Israel must "complete" the defeat of Palestinian militant group Hamas in order to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza since the October 7 2023 attack that triggered the war.
The Israeli press, citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, has predicted an escalation of operations, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held, such as Gaza City and refugee camps.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military issued a fresh evacuation call for parts of Gaza City, in the north, and Khan Younis in the south, where a spokesperson said ground troops were preparing to "expand the scope of combat operations".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering ordering a complete military takeover of Gaza. Source: Supplied / UN OCHA
On Tuesday, Netanyahu held a three-hour meeting with security chiefs, including Zamir, to discuss options for the continuation of the war, the premier's office said in a statement.
At the meeting, Zamir warned that a full occupation would be like "walking into a trap", public broadcaster Kan reported.
Channel 12 television said Zamir suggested alternatives to a full occupation, such as encircling specific areas where Hamas militants are believed to be hunkering down.
An aerial photograph taken by a drone in February this year shows the destruction caused by Israel's air and ground offensive in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. Gaza residents fear Israel will action a "complete" occupation of the Gaza Strip. Source: AP / Mohammad Abu Samra
The International Court of Justice said in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and should end soon.
Palestinians living in the last quarter of territory where Israel has not yet taken military control — via ground incursions or demands for civilians to leave — said any new push would be catastrophic.
International criticism has surged over the suffering of the more than two million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza after the United Nations warned that famine is unfolding in the territory.
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, just 1.5 per cent of Gaza's farmland is accessible and undamaged — less than 2.5 square kilometres — according to the latest satellite survey published Wednesday.
"Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale famine," the organisation's director-general Qu Dongyu said in a statement.
"People are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked, local agrifood systems have collapsed and families can no longer sustain even the most basic livelihoods."
