Poll shows 70% of Palestinians oppose disarming Hamas

• 70 percent of Palestinians oppose disarming Hamas, despite risk of renewed 'Israeli' attacks.
• 62 percent doubt Trump’s peace plan will end 'Israel’s' war on Gaza.
• 85 percent want President Mahmoud Abbas to resign.
• Hamas remains more popular than Fatah in both Gaza and the West Bank.

A new public opinion poll shows that most Palestinians reject any effort to disarm Hamas and remain unconvinced that US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan will end 'Israel’s' war on Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), around 70 percent of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and Gaza said they oppose the disarmament of Hamas, even if it risks further 'Israeli' attacks. The survey, conducted between October 22 and 25, included 1,200 respondents, 760 in the West Bank and 440 in Gaza, and has a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

Opposition to disarming Hamas was highest in the West Bank, where 80 percent of respondents said the group’s armed wing should keep its weapons. In Gaza, where civilians have endured years of 'Israeli' bombardment, 55 percent opposed disarmament.

Skepticism about Trump’s peace proposal, which includes a ceasefire and an international peacekeeping plan for Gaza, was also widespread. Sixty-two percent of Palestinians said they do not believe the initiative will “end the war once and for all.” Distrust was strongest in the West Bank (67 percent) and lower in Gaza (54 percent).

The poll further revealed growing discontent with the Palestinian Authority and its leadership. Eighty-five percent of respondents said they want President Mahmoud Abbas to resign, and only 23 percent expressed satisfaction with his performance.

Meanwhile, Hamas continues to outpace Fatah in popularity. The group enjoys the backing of 35 percent of Palestinians, compared to 24 percent for Fatah. Support for Hamas is slightly higher in Gaza (41 percent) than in the West Bank (32 percent).

“The past two years have led to greater support for Hamas rather than the opposite and that this conclusion is true in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, but more so in the former,” the PCPSR report stated.

On Trump’s proposal to create a committee of unaffiliated Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza, opinions were split: 53 percent opposed it, while 45 percent supported it. Support rose to 67 percent when respondents were told the committee would oversee reconstruction efforts.

Attitudes toward an Arab or Muslim peacekeeping force also varied. In the West Bank, 78 percent opposed the idea, while in Gaza opposition fell to 52 percent, within the margin of error. However, support increased when respondents were told peacekeepers would secure Gaza’s borders without disarming Hamas, rising to 53 percent in Gaza and 43 percent in the West Bank.