Nearly nine out of 10 Israelis say the army's week-old operation against Hezbollah is justified and nearly 60 percent say Israel should fight until the Lebanese guerrilla group is destroyed, according to an opinion poll published Tuesday.

Smoke raises above buildings after an Israeli air strike of Al Howsh in the south-eastern Lebanon town of Tyre July 17, 2006. [Reuters]

The Dahaf poll, published in the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, found that 81 percent of Israelis want the military campaign to continue. Another 78 percent of Israelis are satisfied with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's functioning.

In a surprising statistic, 72 percent said they backed Defense Minister Amir Peretz, whose posting to head the military raised eyebrows just a few months ago. Peretz, formerly a populist union leader, was considered by many not to have the military experience necessary to oversee the army.

The poll of 513 Israelis taken Monday was the first since Israel launched an offensive against Hezbollah on Wednesday. The poll has an error margin of 4.2 percentage points.

Israel attacked Hezbollah after the guerrilla group out a cross-border raid on a military patrol, killing eight soldiers and capturing two others. Israel has carried out a relentless aerial campaign in Lebanon and its capital Beirut, while Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns and cities.

More than 200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, and 24 Israelis have been killed in the fighting.

But unlike during Israel's 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, when Israelis were divided over the military presence and public pressure finally forced a withdrawal, this time there is almost back-to-back support for the operation.

According to the opinion poll, 86 percent of Israelis said the current operation was justified and 58 percent said it should continue until Hezbollah is destroyed, even though one-third of the country has been forced underground due to the almost nonstop volleys of rockets being fired on northern Israel.