Only 6% of Gazans now want Hamas to continue operations after war with Israel ends: Poll

A new poll has found that only six per cent of Gazans think the militant organisation Hamas should continue ruling the Palestinian strip after the war with Israel ends.

The poll, published by the Palestinian Institute for Social and Economic Progress (ISEP), revealed that only 5.3 per cent of respondents said they would back Hamas in any future election.

The poll further showed nearly 58 per cent of people believed that the hostage-ceasefire deal could only be brokered by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

A whopping 70 per cent of those surveyed said Hamas no longer had power to “control the situation” from now on.

More findings of the poll

Following the ceasefire, support for Fatah, a Palestinian nationalist and social democratic political party, rose by 12 percentage points, while backing for Hamas increased to 5.3 per cent.

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More than half of respondents expressed a preference for rebuilding Gaza to a better state than before. The survey took place after President Trump’s inauguration but before he announced his Gaza reconstruction plan.

A significant 44.1 per cent of people blamed Hamas entirely for the diversion of aid, with two-thirds believing that aid diversion is a major issue in Gaza.

The ISEP poll used quota sampling to survey 400 respondents from 34 pre-war locations in the Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis governorates. The participants were generally aged 15 and older.

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Gazans optimistic about future

Another poll conducted by the Arab World Center for Research and Development (AWRAD) in the Gaza Strip last month showed that 60 per cent of Gazans were optimistic about their future.

The poll found that 56 per cent of people believed that Palestinian society was moving in the right direction.

Regarding the phase one of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, 65 per cent of people gave a positive evaluation of Washington’s role. Additionally, 63 per cent believed that President Trump’s election and inauguration played a significant role in reaching the agreement, while 33 per cent thought it contributed to some extent.

(With inputs from agencies)