On October 6, the day before the murderous attack by Hamas, the Arab Barometer survey examined the attitude of the Gaza population toward the Hamas leadership. According to the findings, an absolute majority of the Gazan public (67%) expressed little trust or a complete lack of trust in Hamas, compared to 29% who expressed a high degree of trust. The lack of trust evidently stems from the dissatisfaction by the residents of the Gaza Strip with the precarious economic situation, the governmental corruption, and the ineffectiveness of the government. For example, 31% blamed Hamas as the core cause of their economic problems, compared to 16% who blamed Israel and Egypt.
The survey also shows that the stance of the Gaza population toward the conflict does not match the ideology of Hamas: 73% of Gazans support a non-violent settlement of the conflict, compared to 20% who support violent action against Israel. Furthermore, 54% of Gaza residents have expressed support for the idea of two states for two peoples.
Regrading political preferences, 30% of Gazans said that if elections were held in the Strip they would vote for Fatah, 27% would vote for Hamas, and a very small percentage for Islamic Jihad. Among the potential candidates for the leadership of the Strip – 32% chose Marwan Barghouti, the senior Fatah figure jailed in Israel, and 24% chose Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas Political Bureau of Hamas. Only 12% chose Abu Mazen, the president of the Palestinian Authority. The other respondents (32%) did not indicate any willingness to vote for these individuals. These findings indicate great disappointment toward Hamas but also toward the Palestinian leadership as a whole. In fact, 67% of Gazans support Abu Mazen's resignation and most (52%) see the Palestinian Authority as a burden on the entire Palestinian people.
The position of the Gazan street on the day after October 7 is not yet clear. In the past, Israel's military actions have led to growing support for Hamas. Israel should closely monitor the position of the Gazan public and plan its steps well, not only during the war but especially in its aftermath.
On October 6, the day before the murderous attack by Hamas, the Arab Barometer survey examined the attitude of the Gaza population toward the Hamas leadership. According to the findings, an absolute majority of the Gazan public (67%) expressed little trust or a complete lack of trust in Hamas, compared to 29% who expressed a high degree of trust. The lack of trust evidently stems from the dissatisfaction by the residents of the Gaza Strip with the precarious economic situation, the governmental corruption, and the ineffectiveness of the government. For example, 31% blamed Hamas as the core cause of their economic problems, compared to 16% who blamed Israel and Egypt.
The survey also shows that the stance of the Gaza population toward the conflict does not match the ideology of Hamas: 73% of Gazans support a non-violent settlement of the conflict, compared to 20% who support violent action against Israel. Furthermore, 54% of Gaza residents have expressed support for the idea of two states for two peoples.
Regrading political preferences, 30% of Gazans said that if elections were held in the Strip they would vote for Fatah, 27% would vote for Hamas, and a very small percentage for Islamic Jihad. Among the potential candidates for the leadership of the Strip – 32% chose Marwan Barghouti, the senior Fatah figure jailed in Israel, and 24% chose Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas Political Bureau of Hamas. Only 12% chose Abu Mazen, the president of the Palestinian Authority. The other respondents (32%) did not indicate any willingness to vote for these individuals. These findings indicate great disappointment toward Hamas but also toward the Palestinian leadership as a whole. In fact, 67% of Gazans support Abu Mazen's resignation and most (52%) see the Palestinian Authority as a burden on the entire Palestinian people.
The position of the Gazan street on the day after October 7 is not yet clear. In the past, Israel's military actions have led to growing support for Hamas. Israel should closely monitor the position of the Gazan public and plan its steps well, not only during the war but especially in its aftermath.