RAMALLAH (dpa-AFX) – According to a survey, the reputation of Islamist Hamas has risen sharply in the West Bank following its bloody attack on Israel, with 1,200 deaths, and the resulting war in Gaza. This emerged from research published on Wednesday by the reputable Palestinian research institute PSR. 44 percent of people in the West Bank supported Hamas, compared to just 12 percent in September.
In the Gaza Strip, where more than 18,600 people were killed, nearly 50,600 were injured, and great destruction was caused in the Israeli military offensive to destroy Hamas, Hamas's reputation increased, albeit less markedly, from 38 percent to 42 per cent. cent. Meanwhile, the popularity of the more moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, continued to decline. According to the survey, 88% of those interviewed were in favor of his resignation.
However, opinions differ among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on the question of whether Hamas' attack on Israel more than two months ago was correct. While 82 percent in the West Bank supported the attack, only 57 percent in the coastal strip directly affected. However, only 1 percent of respondents in the West Bank and 17 percent in the Gaza Strip believe Israel could achieve its war objective of destroying Hamas. Nearly two-thirds expect Hamas to continue to govern the Gaza Strip in the future.
90 percent of respondents said Hamas did not commit atrocities in Israel, as evidenced by videos and testimonies from survivors. A large majority accuses Western supporters of Israel, especially the US, of moral failure in the face of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Most believe that Western countries' support for a two-state solution is also not really serious./ro/DP/men