The Times of Israel newspaper said that an opinion poll among Palestinians published on Wednesday showed a significant rise in the popularity of Hamas in the West Bank, with support appearing to have also risen even in the devastated Gaza Strip, and overwhelming rejection of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, where about 90 respondents said Percent that Abbas should resign.
The poll included about 1,231 Palestinians, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Research and Survey Studies during the recent truce period between Hamas and Israel.
The survey showed that 44 percent of respondents in the West Bank supported Hamas, up from 12 percent in September, while 42 percent in Gaza supported the movement, up from 38 percent.
The poll found that 72 percent believe that Hamas was “right” to launch its October 7 attack on Israel, with 82 percent of respondents in the West Bank and 57 percent in Gaza supporting the attack.
The Times of Israel said that the poll was conducted from November 22 to December 2 and included 1,231 people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and its margin of error was 4 percentage points.
In Gaza, survey center workers conducted 481 in-person interviews during the week-long ceasefire that ended on December 1.
The Times of Israel quoted Khalil Shikaki, professor of political science and director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, as saying that the margin of error is one percentage point higher than usual due to the unrest resulting from the mass displacement of residents during the war between Israel and Hamas. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had fled intense fighting in northern Gaza, and research center staff were only able to conduct interviews in central and southern Gaza, including among the displaced, because they were unable to reach the north during the ceasefire.
Gaza under the truce… a memory of a city
Overall, the poll showed that 88 percent want President Abbas to resign, an increase of 10 percentage points from just three months ago. In the West Bank, 92 percent called for the resignation of the Abbas administration, which is widely seen as corrupt, authoritarian and ineffective – according to The Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, 44 percent in the West Bank said they generally supported Hamas, compared to just 12 percent in September. In Gaza, the movement received 42 percent support, a slight increase of 38 percent from a poll conducted three months ago.
Shikaki said support for the Palestinian Authority has declined dramatically, with about 60 percent now saying it should be dissolved. In the West Bank, the ongoing security coordination between Abbas and Israel is not widely popular on the Palestinian street.
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2023-12-14 03:42:39
