Hamas growing more popular among Palestinians amid war
A Palestinian polling center underlines that in light of all the death and destruction, support for the Resistance is seeing a notable increase among Palestinians.
The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) conducted between May 26 - June 1 a new poll regarding the war on Gaza, surveying Palestinians on several issues, including support for the Resistance and its actions in Gaza.
The poll revealed an increase in overall support for the Palestinian Resistance's operation against the Israeli occupation on October 7, with 73% of Palestinians expressing approval, up from 71% three months ago during the previous survey, which coincided with the five-month anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Furthermore, 82% of Palestinians believe that the October 7 operation brought the Palestinian issue into the spotlight, ending years of regional and international neglect. This marked a 6-point increase from the previous survey, with many respondents hopeful that this could lead to greater recognition of the Palestinian state.
The survey also indicated a rise in support for armed struggle, particularly in Gaza, where there was a 17-point increase. Support for Hamas has also risen, with a 6-point increase over the past three months.
A significant majority of Palestinians (67%) expect Hamas to emerge victorious from the war, a 4-point increase from the last survey. Additionally, support for Hamas governing Gaza post-conflict has risen to 61%, while satisfaction with the movement stands at 75%. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, enjoys a 65% approval rating among Palestinians.
Opposition to the deployment of an Arab security force in Gaza has grown to 75%, up from 70% in the previous survey.
Regarding regional dynamics and the broader Resistance Axis, the poll highlighted widespread Palestinian support for allied Resistance operations. This comes as Hezbollah continues its military actions against Israeli forces in northern occupied Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as Yemen expands its military operations against vessels linked to the Israeli occupation in solidarity with Gaza despite renewed American and British aggression against the country, and as Iraq continues to bombard Israeli sites in occupied Palestine.
Sharp contrast
The sharp contrast between the Palestinian sentiment toward the war and the Israeli sentiment was evident in a May opinion poll conducted by the Israeli Midgam Institute, which indicated that about two-thirds of the Israeli public does not believe in the entity's ability to achieve the objective of "eliminating" Hamas.
Since day one of the war on Gaza, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that, along with bringing back the captives, the main goal of the war is to end Hamas and achieve an "absolute victory" against the Resistance in the Strip.
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But eight months into the genocidal war on Gaza, "Israel" has yet to reach the captives, defeat the Resistance, reduce its influence, or effectively harm its capabilities. Meanwhile, political and social rifts are widening, risking the collapse of the emergency government and paralyzing the war cabinet.
Meanwhile, the dire Israeli situation on the northern front with Hezbollah has left tens of thousands of Israeli settlers unable to return to their settlements, as the Lebanese Resistance continues its daily operation against military bases and sites at an escalatory rate.
Published by The Wall Street Journal, the Midgam report showed that 62% of Israelis no longer believe that the entity is capable of achieving "absolute victory", while 27% still consider it realistic.