Britons back immediate ceasefire in Gaza war, new poll shows

A new opinion poll shows strong support among Britons for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The survey, which came amid Israel's brutal war on the besieged Palestinian enclave, was conducted by pollster YouGov on 20 and 21 December with 2,085 adults in Great Britain.

The poll found 48 percent of people feel there definitely should be an immediate ceasefire and 23 percent believe there probably should, for a total of 71 percent in favour.

Just 12 percent think there probably or definitely should not be an immediate end to hostilities, according to the survey, commissioned by humanitarian group Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and advocacy organisation the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu).

"Three months of bombardment and siege have resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza," MAP CEO Melanie Ward said in a press release on Wednesday.

"Children are starving, the health system is collapsing, and nearly two million people are displaced from their homes.

"The message from the public couldn't be clearer: this must end now, and our politicians must play their part in making that happen."

Both the UK government and the main opposition Labour Party have expressed support for a "sustainable ceasefire" in the Gaza war, stopping short of calling for an immediate end to the fighting.

Israel's war on Gaza has seen hospitals, ambulances, and residential buildings attacked. It has killed over 23,350 people, most of them women and children.

Caabu director Chris Doyle said the YouGov poll shows a "massive gap" between the UK's political leaders and the public.

"The latter can clearly see that an immediate ceasefire is vital," he said on social media platform X.

The survey also found that 22 percent of Britons sympathise more with the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Sixteen percent feel closer to the Israeli side, while 32 percent sympathise with both equally and 29 percent say they don't know.

Support for the Palestinians is highest among the youngest adults, with 39 percent of those aged 18 to 24 sympathising more with them.

Just eight percent of that cohort feel more aligned with the Israelis.

The survey also asked Britons whether they approve or disapprove of how the UK government has dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far, with 17 percent strongly or somewhat approving.

While 29 percent strongly or somewhat disapprove, 31 percent are neither for nor against, and 22 percent say they don't know.

Just nine percent of people approve of Labour's handling of the issue, with 30 percent disapproving.

A further 29 percent neither approve nor disapprove, and 33 percent don't know.

It comes as the Qatar-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies announced on Wednesday the results of a poll of 8,000 men and women from 16 Arab countries.

The survey asked about states' responses to Israel's war on Gaza, finding more than three-quarters of respondents looking at the UK's position negatively.