In November, the AWRAD Institute conducted a public opinion survey among 668 Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza to examine their attitudes toward the war. Among the main findings:
- Support for the October 7 massacre: 59% of the Palestinian respondents in the Palestinian Authority and in Gaza expressed a considerable degree of support for the Hamas attack. There is a significant gap between the residents of the Palestinian Authority (68% support) and the residents of the Gaza Strip (47% support). In response to “what motivated the massacre,” answers included Israeli oppression and attacks on al-Aqsa Mosque (35%), the Israeli occupation and construction in the settlements (33%), and the siege of Gaza (21%).
- The radicalization of attitudes toward Israel and the strengthening of national pride: 98% of Palestinians avow they will never forgive or forget Israel's actions. 90% believe that Israeli-Palestinian coexistence is becoming impossible and 68% contend that their support for the two-state solution has decreased. In fact, 98% of Palestinians reported that their sense of pride grew stronger as a result of the fighting.
- Belief in a Palestinian victory: 73% of respondents believe that the Palestinian side will win the war, while only 3% believe that Israel will win. Moreover, most Palestinians believe that the establishment of a Palestinian state (“from the river to the sea”) is more imminent now than ever before (78%).
- The day after the war: 68% of the Palestinians stated that their support for the two-state solution has decreased following the war. Moreover, it is evident that support for Fatah has also ebbed. Thus, 75% support a unified Palestinian government, 14% support a Hamas government, and only 8% support a Fatah government.
These findings suggest that the war leads to radicalization in the Palestinian street, strengthens Palestinian national pride, raises hopes for victory, and reduces support for the two-state solution. Therefore, thinking about the “day after” should also take into account these aspects, since they may affect how the Palestinians will perceive the question of leadership over Gaza after the war.
In November, the AWRAD Institute conducted a public opinion survey among 668 Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza to examine their attitudes toward the war. Among the main findings:
These findings suggest that the war leads to radicalization in the Palestinian street, strengthens Palestinian national pride, raises hopes for victory, and reduces support for the two-state solution. Therefore, thinking about the “day after” should also take into account these aspects, since they may affect how the Palestinians will perceive the question of leadership over Gaza after the war.