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Palestinian Public Opinion Polls: Opinion on War in Gaza

Note: We are presenting raw data. We provide some or all of the crosstabs (i.e., breakdowns by various categories such as party ID) when available. To analyze the data, we encourage users to read the entire study and the methodology used. Sample size, question wording, and question order can affect results and reliability. Context and timing may also influence responses, for example, if the survey is conducted during a war. The question wording is not exact in polls in Arabic that are translated into English.


Gaza War - Operation Iron Sword

In your view, given what happened after it, was Hamas’s decision to launch its offensive against Israel on October 7 a correct or incorrect one? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  WB Gaza Total
Correct 82% 57%
72%
Incorrect 12% 37%
22%
DK/NA 6% 5%
6%

Did Hamas commit war crimes in the current war? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  WB Gaza Total
Yes 5% 17%
10%

Did you see videos, shown by international news outlets, showing acts committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians, such as the killing of women and children in their homes? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
14%
No 85%

Did Hamas commit these atrocities? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
7%

If it is up to you, which of these would you prefer to see in control of the Gaza Strip? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  WB Gaza Total
Hamas 75% 38%
60%
PA under Abbas 1% 16% 7%
PA national unity government without Abbas 11% 23% 16%

When will the war stop and who will win? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
A ceasefire in Gaza in the upcoming weeks
50%
The war will continue for weeks and months 25%
Israel will unilaterally end the war and begin to withdraw under the pressure from the resistance 20%
Hamas and other resistance forces in Gaza will stop the fighting and withdraw to safer areas in the Gaza Strip 2%

Will Hamas return to rule over the Gaza Strip after the war despite Israel’s declared objective of eradicating that organization? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
72%
No 23%

Do you think the recent talk about two-state solution in the U.S. and other Western countries is serious? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
27%
No 70%

Now I will ask you about a number of Palestinian actors and whether you are satisfied or dissatisfied with their performance in the current war? [Satisfied] (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  WB Gaza
Hamas Movement 85% 52%
Yahya Sinwar 81% 52%
Ismail Haniyeh 57% 43%
Fatah Movement 23% 21%
Mahmoud Abbas 7% 17%

Why do you think Hamas waged the October 7 offensive? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  WB Gaza Total
A response to settler attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and on Palestinian citizens and for the release of prisoners from Israeli prisons. 89% 69%
81%
It was an Iranian plot to thwart Arab normalization with Israel 5% 27%
14%

What are Isrsael's objectives in the current war? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Destroy the Gaza Strip and kill or expel its population
53%
Exact revenge against Hamas and the resistance and destroy them completely
42%

Will Israel succeed in causing a second Nakba for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as some Israeli minister called for? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
24%
No
73%

Will Israel succeed in its goal of eradicating Hamas and the resistance? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
8%
No
70%
It will only weaken Hamas and the resistance 21%

Will Israel succeed in expelling Gazans out of the Strip? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
85%
No
13%

Who is to blame for the current suffering of Gazans in the current war? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Israel
52%
United States
26%
Hamas 11%
The PA 9%

Do you support or oppose the release, now before the end of the war, of the detained Israeli women and children among the civilians in the hands of the resistance groups, in return for the release of Palestinian women and children in the Israeli prisons? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Support
85%

Do you believe Gazans who left their homes during the war to safer areas will be able to return to these homes once the war stops? (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  Total
Yes
71%
Oppose
13%

Now I will ask you about your satisfaction with the role of a number of international actors in this last war. [Satisfied] (PSR, November 22-December 2, 2023 )

  WB Gaza
Russia 17% 28%
China 15% 27%
UN 3% 11%
France 2% 10%
Britain 1% 8%
Germany 0% 17%
USA 0% 1%

How much do you support the military operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance led by Hamas on October 7th? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  WB Gaza Total
Extremely support 68% 47%
59%
Somewhat support  15% 17%
16%
Neither support nor oppose  8% 14%
11%
Somewhat do not support  3% 8%
5%
Extremely against  4% 13%
7%

In your opinion, what was the main reason for the operation launched by the Palestinian resistance on 7th October? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
To Free Palestine 

29%

Breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip

21%

Stop the peace process 

1%

Stop the settlement 

1%

Serve Iran’s benefits 

5%

Stop the violations of Aqsa 33%

 Do you expect this war to end by: (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total Expect
Peace agreement between Palestinian resistance and Israel

32%

Gaza returns to the control of the Palestinian Authority (Under the presidency of Abu Mazen) 

18%

Victory achieves the liberation of Gaza from the Israeli invasion 

75%

Israeli prisons are whitening from Palestinian prisoners 

79%

Israeli victory (broader blockade of Gaza, escalation of settlement activity in the West Bank, and further restrictions on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites 

17%

Returning to the way things were before the war 33%
The war remains ongoing until the end of one of the parties 24%

Do you believe that the current conflict in Gaza is primarily between? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
Israel and Hamas 

19%

Israel and Palestinians in general

64%

Israel and the Islamic World

5%

Israel and the Arab World 

2%

The Western World and the Arab and Islamic World 

9%

The US and Western countries expressed a clear support for Israel in its confrontation with Palestinian resistance. Why do you think they did so?  (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
As a sympathy with Israelian civilians

70%

Due to the influence of the Israeli lobby inside these countries 

92%

Due to their hate of Muslims and Islam.

90%

Due to their hate of Arabs. 

86%

The Western World and the Arab and Islamic World 

9%

As a deterrent against Iran and Hezbollah and their fear of escalation against Israel  77%
Due to their political and economic interests in the region  96%

What would you like as a preferred government after the war is finished in Gaza Strip: (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
A government controlled by Hamas 

14%

A government controlled by the Palestinian Authority 

8%

A national unity government 

72%

Do you think people around you will forget what Israel did in this war someday? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
Yes

2%

No

98%

Do you think people around you will forgive what Israel did in this war someday? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
Yes

1%

No

98%

Considering the ongoing events, do you feel a sense of pride as a Palestinian? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
Yes

98%

No

2%

Do you believe that Palestine or Israel will emerge victorious from this war? (AWRAD, November 14, 2023)

  Total
Palestine

73%

Israel

3%

None of them 14%

Operation Guardian of the Walls

How do you assess the position/performance during the May 2021 Gaza conflict? (AWRAD, June 14-17, 2021)

  Positive Fair Negative
Hamas
72%
18%
7%
Fatah
18%
35%
44%
Arab countries
14%
38%
45%
Mahmoud Abbas
11%
24%
61%
EU
5%
20%
70%
UN
3%
13%
80%
USA
2%
13%
81%

Who was the victor of the armed conflict in the May 2021 Gaza conflict? (AWRAD, June 14-17, 2021)

The Palestinians
74%
Neither Israel nor the Palestinians
22%
Israel
3%

Who was the victor of the diplomatic war in the May 2021 Gaza conflict? (AWRAD, June 14-17, 2021)

The Palestinians
82%
Neither Israel nor the P
12%
Israel
3%

Which party came out stronger after the May 2021 Gaza conflict? (AWRAD, June 14-17, 2021)

Hamas
80%
Fatah
4%
Islamic Jihad
4%
None of the Palestinian parties
11%
Don't know
5%

Operation Cast Lead

Given the outcome of the Israeli operation in Gaza, do you believe Palestinians are better off, worse off, or about the same as they were before the operation? (Truman Research Institute/PCPSR, March 1-7, 2009)

Better off
11%
Worse off
71%
About the same
17%

In the aftermath of the Israeli operation in Gaza, what do you expect will happen between the two sides? (Truman Research Institute/PCPSR, March 1-7, 2009)

They will return to negotiations and armed confrontations will stop
11%
They will return to negotiations but some armed confrontations will continue
50%
Thew will not return to negotiations and armed confrontations will not stop
33%

Do you think that the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip was a reaction to the firing of rockets from the Strip? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
28.6%
No
69.1%
No opinion/don't know
2.3%

Do you support military operations by Palestinian resistance factions after reaching a truce agreement with Israel? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
39.9%
No
57.4%
No opinion/don't know
2.7%

Do you think that the PLO factions participated in the resistance during the war in Gaza? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
71.1%
No
21.5%
No opinion/don't know
7.3%

Do you think that the war in Gaza strengthened Hamas in the West Bank? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
57.7%
No
32.6%
No opinion/don't know
9.7%

Do you think that the reaction of the international public measured up to the catastrophe in the Gaza Strip? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
63.0%
No
31.2%
No opinion/don't know
5.8%

Do you think that the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip increased the possibility of the separation of the Gaza Strip from the West Bank? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
56.9%
No
37.3%
No opinion/don't know
5.7%

Do you think that the new US administration under Obama is serious in its endeavors to achieve peace in the Middle East? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
24.0%
No
62.5%
No opinion/don't know
13.5%

Do you think that Hamas should accept a truce for one year and a half? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
64.3%
No
27.6%
No opinion/don't know
8.2%

Do you think that the suggested truce will hold for long in the future? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Yes
20.0%
No
68.7%
No opinion/don't know
11.3%

Who is the biggest beneficiary from a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Israel
34.1%
Hamas
17.1%
Citizens of Gaza Strip
43.0%
No opinion/don't know
5.8%

How do you assess the media coverage of the war in the Gaza Strip? (An-Najah National University, February 1-2, 2009)

Good
68.3%
Fair
21.9%
Bad
8.2%
No opinion/don't know
1.5%

Who, in your opinion, won the the recent war in the Gaza Strip? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, An-Najah National University)

 
January 25-31, 2009
February 1-2, 2009
Israel
10.5%
13.4%
Hamas
34.1%
31.6%
Fateh
1.3%
-
The Palestinian factions
-
23.1%
Nobody
54.1%
29.6%
No opinion/don't know
-
2.3%

What do you think, after the Gaza war, would be the best solution for the Palestinian people? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, January 25-31, 2009)

To return to the negotiation tabel with Israel
21.1%
To form a government of national unity
46.0%
To conduct new presidential and PLC elections
37.0%
To affiliate the Gaza Strip to Egypt
1.2%
To call UN forces to take over the responsibility in the Gaza Strip
3.7%

Who should, in your opinion, be held responsible for the recent war in Gaza? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, January 25-31, 2009)

Fateh
7.6%
Hamas
14.5%
Israel
54.4%
Egypt
4.8%
Iran
4.8%
Syria
0.7%
United States
13.0%
European Union
0.2%

What is your attitude to the firing of rockets at present on Israel from Gaza? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, January 25-31, 2009)

Strongly favor
18.5%
Favor
20.8%
Undecided
33.5%
Oppose
14.3%
Strongly oppose
12.9%

To what extent do you think the militant resistance has fulfilled its task during the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, January 25-31, 2009)

To a great extent
40.1%
To a middle extent
33.3%
To a small extent
23.9%
I don't know
2.7%

Do you think, after the war in Gaza, the following have lost or gained power? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, January 25-31, 2009)

 
Gained
Lost
Israel
37.7%
35.3%
Hamas
43.5%
26.8%
Fateh
25.5%
22.3%
The Palestinian Authority
22.9%
26.3%
Mahmoud Abbas
21.3%
38.1%
Khaled Mish'al
41.6%
30.3%