Almost half of Israelis want to hold off on any invasion of Gaza, according to a poll, in what may indicate a dip in support for the planned next stage of the counter-offensive against Hamas holding some 200 hostages, Reuters reports.

Asked if the military should immediately escalate to a large-scale ground offensive, 29 per cent of Israelis agreed while 49pc said “it would be better to wait” and 22pc were undecided, the poll published in the Maariv newspaper said.

The daily said the results contrasted with its October 19 poll that found 65pc support for a major ground offensive.