Survey Reveals Divided Palestinian Opinions on Hamas Attack and Conflict Outcome

The Maan agency has recently released the findings of a survey conducted by the Palestinian non-governmental organization Jerusalem Center for Media and Communications, with the support of the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The survey encompassed East Jerusalem and the West Bank, excluding the Gaza Strip.

The survey results revealed that 39% of participants believed that the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was in the national interests of Palestinians, while 30% felt it damaged these interests and 23% believed it had no effect. In terms of predictions on the outcome of the conflict, only 6% of respondents thought Israel would emerge victorious, while 41% bet on Hamas and 34% believed neither side would prevail.

Perceptions on the impact of the conflict on relations between Israel and the Arab world were divided, with 38% of participants forecasting a boost in normalization, 26% predicting the opposite and 30% asserting no effect. Moreover, a majority (55%) of respondents anticipated a popularity surge for Hamas, with only 13% predicting a decrease in its popularity.

A noteworthy finding was that 75% of respondents expect intervention from Iran and its allies to assist Gaza residents compared to only 18% who doubted this occurrence. In determining the most effective approach to achieving national aspirations for a Palestinian state, negotiations were favored by an overwhelming majority (44%) over armed struggle (41%) or neutrality (14%). Additionally, insights into statehood preferences indicated that most Palestinians supported a two-state principle (32%) or single binational state (25%) over an all-encompassing “historical Palestine” territory (31%).