A pro-Hamas activist wears a keffiyeh while marching from the City University of New York to Columbia University. Photo: Eduardo Munoz via Reuters Connect

A majority of the youngest American voters say they support Hamas over Israel in the current conflict, exposing a dramatic generational divide even as nearly three-quarters of the electorate continues to side with the Jewish state.

Sixty percent of registered voters aged 18–24 chose Hamas when asked whether they supported “more Israel or more Hamas,” according to the July Harvard CAPS-Harris poll. Just 40 percent selected Israel. No other age group favored the US-designated terrorist organization.

Support for Israel rose steadily with age: 62 percent among voters aged 25–34, 67 percent among those 35–44, 77 percent among those 45–54, 80 percent among those 55–64, and 88 percent among voters 65 and older.

The partisan divide was less pronounced but still substantial. Israel was favored by 85 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of independents and other voters, and 63 percent of Democrats. The remaining 15 percent, 31 percent, and 37 percent, respectively, selected Hamas.

Overall, 73 percent of registered voters sided with Israel and 27 percent with Hamas—essentially unchanged from May, when Israel registered 72 percent support.

The results do not necessarily mean that 60 percent of young voters hold a favorable opinion of Hamas. The Israel-Hamas question forced respondents to choose between the two sides. In a separate favorability question, just 11 percent of all voters viewed Hamas favorably, while 59 percent viewed it unfavorably. Israel was viewed favorably by 37 percent and unfavorably by an identical share.

The generational split persisted even on the basic nature of the threat confronting Israel. Seventy-seven percent of voters said terrorist groups—including Hamas and Hezbollah—operate along Israel’s borders, compared with 23 percent who said they do not. Agreement ranged from 64 percent among voters aged 18–24 to 90 percent among those 65 and older.

Young voters were also more likely to interpret those groups’ motives sympathetically. Among voters aged 18–24, 43 percent said they were fighting “just to have more rights,” while 30 percent said they were trying to destroy Israel and 27 percent said they wanted to expand their territory. Among voters 65 and older, 57 percent said the groups sought Israel’s destruction.

The findings reinforce a widening age gap in American attitudes toward Israel: overwhelming support among older voters, but deep hostility—or at least willingness to choose Hamas over Israel—among the youngest adults.

The online poll surveyed 1,776 registered voters from July 11–12. The overall sample carries a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points, though the margin for the smaller 18–24 subgroup would be considerably larger and was not provided.