Survey: 40% of Palestinians believe the October 7 massacre serves Palestinian interests

Eight months after the October 7 massacre, a public opinion survey conducted in Arab-populated areas of Judea and Samaria shows increasing support for Hamas among Palestinians in these regions, largely due to the October 7 attack and the ensuing massacre orchestrated by Hamas.

According to Channel 12, the survey was conducted by the Palestinian research institute The Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre from May 22 to 25. It involved 715 Palestinians aged 18 and older residing in Judea and Samaria, including residents of Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

More than 55% of Palestinians believe that the terror attack and the subsequent war have strengthened Hamas's position.

40% of respondents believe that the massacre carried out by Hamas serves the national interests of the Palestinian people. Some 30% believe it harmed Palestinian interests, and 23.5% think that the October 7 massacre neither served nor harmed Palestinian interests.

When asked about the war's outcome between Israel and Hamas, over 41% of Palestinians responded that Hamas would win, while only 6.3% of Arabs in Judea and Samaria believe Israel would win. 34.3% think neither side will achieve victory, and 8.3% believe both sides will win.

55% of respondents believe that Hamas's popularity will increase as a result of the war, 13% expect a decrease, and 27% think the level of popularity will remain unchanged.

Regarding their preferred resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 32% answered that they support "two states for two peoples," 25% support a binational state, 30% want a Palestinian state across the entire territory, and 7.8% believe no solution is possible.

When asked who is to blame for the financial crisis in the Palestinian Authority, 54% blame Israel, 28% blame the Palestinian administration, and 12% blame donor states that support the Palestinians.

Regarding the political future of the Palestinians, 30% of respondents believe that a national unity government would best serve the interests of the Palestinian people, 25.5% support a technocratic government, 21% support a Hamas government, and only 9.7% support a Fatah government.

Regarding Muhammad Mustafa, the current head of the Palestinian government, more than 33% of respondents rated his performance negatively, 23% gave an average rating, and only 9.8% rated his leadership positively.

52% of respondents believe that Gaza will remain under Hamas control after the war, 6% believe the sector will come under Israeli control, 14% expect the sector to be transferred to the Palestinian administration, and 17% anticipate the introduction of international governance.

The majority of Palestinians believe there is currently no sufficiently strong leader in the Palestinian street. When asked which Palestinian leader they trust, 7.1% named Marwan Barghouti (serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli prison), 2.7% named Yahya Sinwar, 2.5% named Abu Mazen, and 3.6% expressed trust in Hamas's military wing spokesperson Abu Obaida. 65% do not trust any Palestinian leaders.