Sunday marks six months since the Islamic group Hamas launched its attack on Israel. With no end in sight to the fighting, public opinion in Israel is sharply divided.

Thousands of people held a protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. They want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign for prolonging the conflict, and for failing to win the release of more than 130 hostages.

A man whose parents were killed in a Hamas attack believes Israelis should achieve peace with the Palestinians, instead of continuing the fighting. The tourism worker hopes there will be no more casualties.

"Revenge is not the answer. My personal motivation is that my parents will be victims of peace, not victims of war," he said.

He is focusing on a tour of neighborhoods where many Arabs live. He thinks a deeper understanding of Arabs, who make up about 20 percent of Israel's population, will increase the chances for peace.

But hardline stances are deeply rooted in Israel.

In March, an Israeli think tank released the results of an opinion poll on a proposed ground offensive in Rafah, where nearly 1.5 million people are taking shelter.

Twenty-one percent of the respondents said the operation should be avoided, while 65 percent said it should be expanded.

The survey also showed that 58 percent oppose the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"We've been trying to live with Arabs for the past 100 years. We sought to achieve peace, but on October 7, they killed our people. We gave up pursuing peace with people who are trying to kill us," a man whose son is being held hostage by Hamas says.

In the conflict, about 1,200 Israelis have been killed while Palestinian fatalities in Gaza exceed 33,000, with children accounting for more than 40 percent of the deaths.

Meanwhile, the United States -- a longtime supporter of Israel -- recently indicated it could change its stance.

US President Joe Biden talked over the phone with Netanyahu, following the deaths of aid workers in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. He warned Netanyahu that US policy will depend on the swift implementation of new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.

Hamas and Israel have intermittently discussed the conflict along with mediating countries, but wide disagreements remain.

Israeli media reported on Sunday that most troops have been withdrawn from southern Gaza.

Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera says this is believed to be a strategic mobilization to prepare for further aggression.

Hamas is reportedly calling for a permanent ceasefire.