An opinion poll showed that the October 7 attack on Israel had Hamas support among the Palestinian population. While in September only 12% of West Bank residents said they supported the armed movement, this number now stands at 44%. The percentage of support also increased slightly among Gazans, from 38 to 42%, but this increase is within the margin of error.

Khalil Shikaki, who conducted the poll on behalf of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, confirms to the Associated Press that Gazans – who have lived under Hamas rule for nearly two decades – are more critical of the movement. According to him, it is also common for Hamas to gain popularity in the West Bank during the war. But even during the current war, Hamas is not supported by a majority of Palestinians.

The survey was conducted between November 22 and December 2, largely during a quiet period that saw prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas. 1,231 Palestinians completed the questionnaire. The margin of error is 4 percentage points, which is slightly higher than usual because many survey respondents are displaced.

Among respondents in the West Bank, 82% expressed positive opinions about the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. In Gaza, the percentage reached 57 percent. Only 10% indicated that Hamas committed war crimes. The vast majority of survey participants said they had not seen images of Palestinian fighters committing atrocities.

The poll results represent bad news for the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank and which Western countries are putting forward as a body that could also govern Gaza after the war. However, the Palestinian Authority is unpopular among Palestinians due to corruption and cooperation with Israel. A large majority believes in the necessity of dissolving the Palestinian Authority, and 88% demand the resignation of President Mahmoud Abbas.

Martin Albers

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