Americans are divided on whether Israel's response to Hamas' October 7 attack has been excessive or appropriate, with a majority of Democrats now expressing the view that it has been too much, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

The outcomes were driven by individuals of colour and younger respondents, who were significantly more inclined to assert that Israel's actions have exceeded appropriate limits. Moreover, they expressed a greater degree of sympathy towards the Palestinians as opposed to the Israelis.

Distinct divisions exist on the question of whether to allocate funds for both the Israel and Ukraine conflicts, neither, or only one. Additionally, opinions differ on whether the US should assume a leadership role globally.

Once again, younger Americans and individuals of nonwhite ethnicities, along with majorities of independents and Republicans, advocate for a greater focus on addressing domestic issues rather than taking on a leadership role on the world stage.

The poll highlights a split among Americans regarding Israel's military actions, with 38 per cent stating that the Israeli response has been excessive, while an equal number believe it has been "about right." The percentage of individuals who feel the response has gone too far has increased by 12 points compared to a month ago.

56% of Democrats, according to polls, now think that Israel's response has been excessive, marking a significant 21-point increase from last month.

On the other hand, a majority of Republicans (52%) believe the response has been appropriate, reflecting an 8-point increase from the previous month. This shift is largely attributed to many Republicans transitioning from initially considering the response as "too little" in the aftermath of the Hamas attack to now deeming it "about right."

Nonwhites were 15 points more inclined to state that the response has been excessive (48% compared to 33% for whites). Additionally, individuals under 45 were 17 points more likely than those over 45 to express the opinion that the response had been excessive.

"Democratic men (59%), Biden voters (59%) and people who live in big cities (53%) were most likely to say the response has been too much," according to the poll.

Respondents expressed a preference for Israelis over Palestinians by a margin of 61% to 30%. However, this sentiment is largely driven by Republicans (79%) and independents (67%) who overwhelmingly favour Israel.

In contrast, Democrats are divided, with 45% expressing sympathy for Israelis and an equal 45% for Palestinians.

Regarding the Israel-Hamas war, 55% of respondents disapprove of Biden's handling, which is 3 points worse than last month. Among Democrats, Biden has a 60% approval for his handling of the war, down 17 points from last month.

However, his approval is at a low 33% among independents and 39% among those under 45.

(With inputs from agencies