Survey Reveals Loss of Trust in Hamas and Calls for Authority Control in Gaza!

Survey Reveals Loss of Trust in Hamas and Calls for Authority Control in Gaza

A recent survey conducted in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has shown a significant decline in the popularity of Hamas, alongside rising anger over the repercussions of the October 7 attack, which resulted in widespread destruction and heavy human casualties.

The public opinion poll, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from September 3 to 7, 2024, indicated a sharp decline in Hamas's popularity among Palestinians.

This decline reflects the widespread public anger over the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attack, which caused massive destruction in the Gaza Strip, where more than 41,000 Palestinians were killed, and tens of thousands of women and children sustained injuries and permanent disabilities. The attack also displaced millions of residents and disrupted education for hundreds of thousands of students at all educational levels in Gaza.

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For the first time since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, the survey showed a noticeable decrease in support for the attack that day, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, along with a decline in support for Hamas. The results also revealed an increasing tendency in the Gaza Strip to prefer the return of the Palestinian Authority to control the Gaza Strip after the war, rather than continued Hamas dominance.

Despite this decline, Hamas remains the most popular Palestinian faction. However, the survey indicated a significant increase in support for a two-state solution, along with a clear decrease in support for armed struggle, with growing preferences for negotiations as a more effective tool to achieve an end to the occupation.

The timing of the survey coincided with ongoing military operations in Gaza and failed attempts to reach a permanent ceasefire, alongside rising clashes in the West Bank between Israeli forces and armed Palestinian groups, especially in the northern West Bank.

Meanwhile, Israel has imposed strict restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank, closing off the entrances to many villages and towns to prevent their residents from accessing main roads. Settler aggressions against unprotected villages in Areas "B" and "C" continued.

The survey addressed many vital issues, including the internal balance of Palestinian powers post-war, Palestinian attitudes toward peace, and the alternatives proposed amid the stagnation of the political process. The sample size for the survey was 1,200 individuals, including 790 in the West Bank and 410 in the Gaza Strip. Interviews were conducted in 79 locations in the West Bank and 41 locations in Gaza, with the Gaza interviews limited to relatively safe areas such as Khan Younis and shelters in the central region, excluding the besieged northern areas.

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The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported over 41,000 Palestinian deaths since the October 7 attack, while a large part of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed and about 90% of its population, totaling 2.3 million, has been displaced.

Levant - Agencies