Majority of Germans oppose Israel's military actions in Gaza - survey

The majority of Germany's population is against Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, according to a Forsa survey published in the magazine Stern on Monday.

The survey found that 61% of the population opposes Israel's military action in the sealed-off Palestinian territory.

Public support in Germany for Israel's military operations has dropped significantly, the survey shows.

In November, shortly after the October 7 attacks, 62% favoured the Israeli military actions in Gaza, compared to 33% in the most recent survey, indicating a recent shift in public opinion almost eight months into the conflict.

The Gaza war was triggered by an unprecedented massacre carried out by Palestinian extremist group Hamas and other militants in Israel on October 7. More than 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage in Gaza.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive, in which more than 36,400 people have been killed so far, according to the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza.

The survey, conducted from May 30 to 31 by phone, involved 1,003 people. The margin of error is a maximum of plus or minus 3%.