Poll: Most Palestinians Reject Hamas Disarmament

By Staff, Agencies

An overwhelming majority of Palestinians are opposed to Hamas's disarmament and are deeply skeptical that US President Donald Trump’s peace plan will lead to a permanent end to "Israel’s" war on Gaza.

About 70% of Palestinians polled across the occupied West Bank and Gaza say they staunchly oppose the disarmament of Hamas, even if that means a return to "Israeli" attacks, according to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research [PCPSR] between 22-25 October and published on Tuesday.

Notably, opposition to the disarmament of Hamas is strongest in the occupied West Bank, where around 80% of respondents said they want the group’s armed wing to maintain its weapons. The occupied West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority [PA], which is dominated by Hamas’s secular rival, Fatah.

The poll surveyed 1,200 people — 760 in the West Bank and 440 in Gaza— through face-to-face interviews. Responses were securely stored on servers accessible only to researchers, with a margin of error of 3.5%.

Support for Hamas retaining its weapons goes along with deep skepticism over Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.

The poll found 62% of Palestinians do not think the Trump plan will succeed in ending the war “once and for all”. Pessimism is higher in the occupied West Bank, where 67% of respondents were doubtful of the plan, compared to 54% in Gaza.

With the ceasefire now signed, 53% of Palestinians said October 7, 2023 was “correct”. Support for the Hamas-led operation was substantially higher in the occupied West Bank, where 59% of respondents called it “correct” compared to 44% in Gaza.

Hamas remains substantially more popular than Fatah, which dominates the PA and is led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Overall, 35% of Palestinians support Hamas compared to 24% in favor of Fatah, while 32% said they do not support either party or have no opinion.

Hamas outpolls Fatah in the occupied West Bank, where 32% of respondents support the group compared to 20% for Fatah. In Gaza, support for Hamas is even higher, with 41% in favor of the group compared to 29% for Fatah.

The vast majority of Palestinians, 60%, are satisfied with Hamas’s performance, with 66% in the occupied West Bank and 51% in Gaza “satisfied”.

According to the poll, the group is vastly more popular than Fatah and the PA, and its support has increased.

“The past two years have led to greater support for Hamas rather than the opposite and that this conclusion is true in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, but more so in the former,” the report said.

When Palestinians were asked about specific national leaders, their reaction to octogenarian President Abbas was deeply negative. Among Palestinians polled, just 23% are satisfied with Abbas, while 85% want him to resign.

The imprisoned Palestinian official Marwan Barghouti continues to display broad appeal and would win presidential elections if he were to run against Abbas or senior Hamas official Khaled Meshaal.

The poll found sizable support for the part of Trump’s plan calling for a committee of Palestinians not affiliated with Hamas or the PA to govern Gaza. A majority of Palestinians, 53%, said they opposed such a committee, but 45% of respondents supported it.

In Gaza, a slim majority, 51% of Palestinians, support the idea, while opposition in the occupied West Bank is much stronger.

When Hamas and the PA’s exclusion was not mentioned and Palestinians were told the committee's formation would be linked to reconstruction funds, 67% of Palestinians supported the idea.

Opposition to the entry of an Arab and Muslim peacekeeping force into the enclave varies greatly between the occupied West Bank and Gaza. In the former, 78% of respondents oppose the idea, while in the latter, just 52%op pose it, within the margin of error.

Support for the international force increased substantially when respondents were told the peacekeepers would secure Gaza’s borders but not disarm Hamas. 53% of respondents in Gaza and 43% in the occupied West Bank said they supported the force with this mandate.