60% of American Gen Z support Hamas over ‘Israel’: Harvard/Harris poll

• Generational divide: 60% of US voters aged 18–24 support Hamas over ‘Israel’, while 74% of the overall public continues to support ‘Israel’.
• Public opinion on Gaza: 69% of Americans believe famine is occurring in Gaza, with Republicans largely blaming Hamas and younger voters more likely to blame ‘Israel’.
• Shifting perceptions: Polls reveal growing sympathy for Palestinians and declining support for ‘Israel’ among younger Americans, driven by social media exposure to civilian suffering.

A recent Harvard/Harris poll released in August 2025 has reported a striking generational divide, with 60% of American voters aged 18 to 24 expressing support for Hamas over ‘Israel’.

This figure stands in stark contrast to the overall US public, where 74% of respondents said they continue to support ‘Israel’.

All other age groups showed "substantially higher" backing for ‘Israel’. While 51% of voters overall disapproved of ‘Israel's’ conduct in the conflict, a stronger majority of 77% disapproved of Hamas's conduct.

Read more: Poll shows most Americans oppose US military aid to 'Israel'

The poll also explored public perceptions of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The survey found that a substantial majority of voters, 69%, affirmed that accusations of a famine in the Gaza Strip were accurate.

The belief in a famine was particularly high among Democrats (78%), compared to 65% of Republicans and Independents.

When asked who they held responsible, 61% of total respondents attributed the responsibility to Hamas, while a "slight majority of younger respondents" placed the blame on ‘Israel’.

This breakdown showed that 74% of Republicans and 60% of Independents blamed Hamas, while Democrats were split, with 50% holding Hamas responsible.

The poll also found that voters were evenly split on whether ‘Israel’ is committing a "genocide" in Gaza, with the split being 50-50.

Similarly, voters were split on whether criticism of ‘Israel’ is motivated more by a concern for Palestinian human rights (51%) or antisemitism (49%).

A majority of respondents, 58%, also said ‘Israel’ should only make a deal to release the ‘Israeli’ captives if Hamas leaves Gaza entirely

The poll, which surveyed 2,025 registered voters and was conducted between August 20 and 21 with a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points, has been widely cited as an indicator of a fundamental shift in American public opinion.

The poll's findings are part of a broader, well-documented trend. A July 2025 Gallup poll also revealed a significant generational divide, finding that only 9% of Americans under the age of 35 approve of ‘Israel's’ military actions in Gaza.

Similarly, a Quinnipiac University poll found that American sympathy for Palestinians has reached an all-time high.

Analysts attribute this profound shift to a fundamental change in how younger generations consume information.

Unlike their predecessors who rely on traditional media, Gen Z's primary source for political news is social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

As a result, many young Americans view the conflict not through a lens of traditional geopolitics but as a moral issue of justice, fueled by a constant stream of uncensored content showing civilian suffering.