Eight months into the Gaza war, support for Hamas’ October 7 attack declines among Gazans, survey finds

Palestinians walk among the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel’s military offensive, Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, 12 June 2024

Jack Khoury reports in Haaretz on 13 June 2024:

A recent survey conducted among Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip indicates continued public support for Hamas and its October 7 attack on Israel, although support for the terror group within the Gaza Strip has decreased compared to previous surveys.

The latest survey, conducted by Dr. Khalil Shikaki of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), includes a sample of 1,570 Palestinians – 760 from the West Bank and 750 from the Gaza Strip – representing the entire populations of the two regions.

The survey was conducted in personal meetings with the respondents between May 26 and June 1, at a time in which the war was escalating, including Israel’s invasion of Rafah and takeover of the Rafah border crossing, and the worsening of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

According to the survey, some two-thirds of the Palestinian public supports the October 7 attack, compared to 71 percent in a survey conducted in March, and 72 percent about six months ago. 80 percent believe it put the Palestinian issue at the center of global attention.  The main decrease in support for the October 7 attack is in the Gaza Strip, where it stands at 57 percent today compared to 71 percent three months ago.

With regard to the two-state solution, 65 percent responded that they are opposed to it, as compared to 32 percent who support it. In the survey conducted three months ago, 45 percent expressed support for the two-state solution. The significant decline is largely due to a decrease of 30 percent in support for the two-state solution in the Gaza Strip.

As for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, 64 percent of Gazans said they had enough food for a day or two, while 36 percent said they did not have enough food even for two days. This constitutes a slight improvement compared to three months ago, when only 44 percent said they had enough food for one or two days.

The survey also shows that 61 percent of Gaza residents reported that they lost at least one family member in the war, while 65 percent said that one or more family members were wounded.

The survey shows that 78 percent of the Palestinian public in the Gaza Strip does not believe that the pier established by the United States military off the coast of northern Gaza contributes to alleviating the suffering of the population, while 22 percent said it does.

75 percent of the Palestinian public expect that the International Court of Justice would fail to slow down or stop the war because the U.S. would protect Israel from the court’s decisions.

As to who will win the war, the survey shows that 67 percent of Palestinians believe that Hamas will win, compared to 64 percent three months ago, and 70 percent six months ago. However, only 48 percent of the respondents in the Gaza Strip said that Hamas will win compared to 56 percent three months ago, while 79 percent of respondents in the West Bank estimated that Hamas will win compared to 69 percent three months ago.

With regard to who Palestinians expect to rule the Gaza Strip after the war, 56 percent of all respondents answered Hamas, but only 46 percent of Gazans, compared to 62 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank. In a survey conducted three months ago, 59 percent believed that Hamas would be in control of Gaza after the war.

Only 11 percent of respondents believe that a “new Palestinian Authority with an elected president, parliament, and government” will be in control of Gaza, and only 6 percent believe that the current PA headed by Abbas will be in control.

When asked who they “prefer” to control Gaza, 61 percent answered that they prefer Hamas (71 percent from the West Bank and 46 percent from the Gaza Strip). Only 16 percent said they prefer the Palestinian Authority under new leadership, and 6 percent the PA under its current leadership.

The survey found that 75 percent of Palestinians (82 percent in the West Bank and 64 percent in Gaza) expressed satisfaction with Hamas, and 65 percent were satisfied with the performance of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar (76 percent in the West Bank and 50 percent in the Gaza Strip).

24 percent expressed satisfaction with the performance of Abbas’ political party Fatah (25 percent in the West Bank and 23 percent in the Gaza Strip), while only 10 percent expressed satisfaction with President Abbas himself (8 percent in the West Bank and 14 percent in Gaza).

Respondents were asked who they’d vote for had elections been held today. Jailed senior Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti maintains a clear majority of 56 percent compared to Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh with 36 percent, while current PA President Mahmoud Abbas wins only 6 percent. Three months ago, Haniyeh won 32 percent compared to Abbas’ 11 percent.

This article is reproduced in its entirety