Americans are evenly divided when asked if “Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians,” a recent survey found. Among young Americans, nearly half believe that Tel Aviv’s military actions in the Strip amount to genocide.
According to an Economist/YouGov poll conducted from January 21-23, when asked, “Do you think that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians?” 35% responded yes, and 36% of Americans said no. 
Among two key demographics for Biden, young (49%) and Hispanic (46%) voters, nearly half of those who responded said Israel was engaged in a genocide. Recent polls show Biden trailing former President Donald Trump among these demographics. The President won both in 2020.
Voters who make up a large portion of Biden’s base of support, those who identify as Democrats (49%) or liberals (60%), were the most likely Americans to view the Israeli operations in Gaza as attempting to eliminate the Palestinians that live in the Strip. Half of those who voted for Biden in 2020 believe Israel is conducting a genocide.
The results are problematic for Biden as he has offered his full-throated support for Israel. At several recent events, protesters have labeled the President “Genocide Joe” for his role in aiding Tel Aviv’s slaughter in Gaza.
Israel has decimated Gaza during its military operations that began after the October 7 Hamas attack. The Israeli forces have destroyed most of the infrastructure in Gaza needed to support life. Tel Aviv has also severely restricted aid deliveries to the besieged Strip.
International aid agencies are now warning that the healthcare system has collapsed. Medical facilities have been degraded to the point of amputation, even on children, without anesthetics, and women cannot safely give birth.
Disease has spread rapidly due to a lack of medicine and a lack of clean water. Israeli forces destroyed the solar panel array that treated water for half of the Strip’s 2.3 million people. Hundreds of Palestinians are suffering from respiratory infections and diarrhea.
Starvation is also spreading in Gaza. Abeer Etefa, the World Food Program’s senior Middle East spokeswoman, said on Tuesday, “More than half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic food insecurity levels and the risk of famine increases each day.”
Etefa added that even with the long years of conflict in places like Syria, Yemen, and Sudan, “we haven’t seen that high a level of the number of people in these conditions in such a short span of time.”
In addition to the humanitarian crisis created by Israel in Gaza, the ruthless military operations have killed tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. On Wednesday, Israeli forces shelled a UN shelter that housed 800, killing nine and injuring scores of innocent people.
So far, over 25,000 people have been killed including 10,000 children and nearly 7,000 women. Thousands more are missing and believed to be dead under the rubble. More than 60,000 are wounded, with some dying of treatable injuries due to the collapsed medical system.
