Hamas support falls as Marwan Barghouti leads Palestinian opinion poll

The poll further found that 83% of respondents believe there is corruption within Palestinian Authority institutions, while 65% described the PA as “a burden” rather than an achievement.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Hamas has lost significant public support among Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip, while imprisoned Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti emerged as the clear front-runner in a hypothetical Palestinian Authority presidential election, according to a new survey.

The poll, conducted by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), was released as Hamas said it had accepted a proposal from Peace Council envoy Nikolay Mladenov covering the second phase of the Trump plan for Gaza, including the group’s relinquishing its weapons.

According to the survey, Hamas’s overall support fell to 24%, down from 35% 10 months earlier, while Fatah remained at 24%.

The decline was sharpest in Judea and Samaria, where support for Hamas fell from about one-third of respondents to roughly one-fifth.

In Gaza, support for the group fell to about one-third.

In a hypothetical presidential election among likely voters, Barghouti would receive 54% of the vote, followed by Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya at 26% and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at just 14%.

Separately, 79% of respondents said they want Abbas to resign.

Barghouti, now 67, is the highest-profile Palestinian imprisoned in Israel, serving currently serving five life sentences for his role in terror attacks during the Second Intifada.

Palestinians have not held national elections since 2005, and Abbas is now in the 21st year of what was supposed to be a four-year term.

Since then, Abbas has postponed or canceled planned elections amid disagreements between Fatah and Hamas, most recently in 2021.

Palestinian legislative elections are currently scheduled for November 28.

The survey also found that only 20% of Palestinians believe Hamas won the Gaza war, compared with 39% who held that view 10 months ago, while 60% said neither side won.

Despite Hamas’s declining popularity, most respondents oppose disarming the group before a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The poll found that 72% oppose Hamas giving up its weapons before such a withdrawal, while the same percentage said disarmament would lead to renewed fighting rather than an Israeli pullout.

Support for negotiations as the most effective path to Palestinian statehood rose to 44%, up from 36% 10 months earlier and the highest level in four years.

At the same time, support for what the poll calls “armed struggle” fell to 27%, its lowest level in that period, while support for “peaceful popular resistance” rose to 19%.

Palestinians remain divided, however, over whether “armed resistance” has been effective.

Half said it had failed to end the presence of Israeli forces or protect Palestinians, while half disagreed.

Fifty-eight percent said a two-state solution is no longer practical because of the expansion of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, while 64% said they see little or no chance of an independent Palestinian state being established within five years.

The poll further found that 83% of respondents believe there is corruption within Palestinian Authority institutions, while 65% described the PA as “a burden” rather than an achievement.

On regional matters, the survey found relatively high levels of satisfaction with Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis, while satisfaction with U.S. President Donald Trump stood at just 5%.

The poll was based on 1,270 respondents — 830 in Judea and Samaria and 440 in Gaza — surveyed between August 5 and 8. The reported margin of error was 3.5%.