Poll: 65 percent favor Gaza ground assault

JERUSALEM, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A big majority of Israelis support launching a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip targeting the militant Palestinian group Hamas, a survey indicates.

More than 65 percent of respondents to an online poll conducted by The Jerusalem Post favored a ground incursion, the newspaper reported Wednesday. The results were non-representative and included 5,500 respondents, it said.

The survey revealed that nearly 23 percent rejected the possibility of a ground operation, arguing that the Israeli military can continue using its air force instead, while 12 percent supported a limited incursion into Gaza.

Meanwhile, about 54 percent said Israel's main goal in the operation should be to topple the Hamas regime and take over the Gaza Strip, while 25 percent said Hamas should be removed but only if it were accompanied by a clear exit strategy.

The Post didn't report when the poll was taken nor provide a margin of error.