Many Israelis reportedly want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue fighting in Lebanon until Hezbollah is eliminated.

As the Trump administration works to ease tensions across the Middle East and preserve diplomatic efforts with Iran, many Israelis are urging Netanyahu to maintain military pressure on the Iran-backed terrorist group despite mounting international calls for restraint.

Support for continuing military operations against Hezbollah extends well beyond Netanyahu's political base, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Residents of northern Israeli communities that have endured nearly two years of rocket, missile, and drone attacks say they do not want Israeli forces to withdraw before the threat is neutralized.

"We need to let the generals do what they need to do and eliminate Hezbollah," Rani Ben Dov, a farmer in the northern border community of Betzet, told the Post. "We can't just leave."

The sentiment appears to reflect broader public opinion.

A recent poll by the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv found that roughly 60% of Israelis support intensifying military operations against Hezbollah, with support even higher among Netanyahu's coalition voters.

The conflict has become a major political issue ahead of anticipated Israeli elections later this year.

Former Israeli National Security Council chief Giora Eiland told the Post that a withdrawal from Lebanon before Hezbollah is significantly weakened could be viewed by many Israelis as a defeat.

"For Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire, it would insist that all the troops that invaded withdraw," Eiland said. "For the Israeli government, that might be perceived as a defeat."

The debate comes as President Donald Trump has pushed for de-escalation following weeks of heightened fighting involving Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran.

According to The Times of Israel, Israeli officials have agreed to halt direct strikes against Iran at Trump's request after Tehran signaled it would stop missile attacks.

However, Israeli officials stressed that any pause does not necessarily apply to operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

"The sense is that this round of fighting is behind us," an Israeli official told Hebrew media regarding the Israel-Iran conflict, while emphasizing that military action against Hezbollah could continue.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a senior Israeli official warned Israel could expand strikes into Beirut's southern suburbs if Hezbollah attacks on Israeli communities persist.

Supporters of the ongoing campaign argue that northern Israel cannot return to normal until Hezbollah's military infrastructure is dismantled.

Communities along the border have suffered repeated attacks since Hezbollah joined the conflict following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist assault on Israel.

Netanyahu has vowed to deepen Israel's military operations in Lebanon, saying Israeli forces will continue securing territory formerly controlled by Hezbollah until the threat to Israeli civilians is removed.