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WORLD NEWS Thursday 14 december 2023

Palestinian poll shows a rise in Hamas support and close to 90%

wanting U.S.-backed Abbas to resign

By KARIN LAUB role in several deadly at-
Associated Press tacks during the second
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) Palestinian uprising two de-
— A wartime opinion poll cades ago.
among Palestinians pub- In a two-way presidential
lished Wednesday shows race, Ismail Haniyeh, the
a rise in support for Hamas, exiled political leader of
which appears to have Hamas, would trounce Ab-
ticked up even in the dev- bas while in a three-way
astated Gaza Strip, and an race, Barghouti would be
overwhelming rejection of ahead just slightly, the poll-
Western-backed President ster said.
Mahmoud Abbas, with Overall, 88% want Abbas
nearly 90% saying he must to resign, up by 10 per-
resign. centage points from three
The findings by a Palestin- months ago. In the West
ian pollster signal more Bank, 92% called for the res-
difficulties ahead for the ignation of the octogenar-
Biden administration’s post- ian who has presided over
war vision for Gaza and an administration widely
raise questions about Isra- seen as corrupt, autocratic
el’s stated goal of ending and ineffective.
Hamas’ military and gov- At the same time, 44% in the
erning capabilities. West Bank said they sup-
Washington has called for Palestinians look for survivors of the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Tuesday, ported Hamas, up from just
the West Bank-based Pal- Dec. 12, 2023. 12% in September. In Gaza,
estinian Authority, currently Associated Press the militants enjoyed 42%
led by Abbas, to eventu- Palestinian statehood, the thousands of Palestinians attack, the poll indicated. support, up slightly from
ally assume control of Gaza default for postwar Gaza is had fled fierce fighting in A large majority believed 38% three months ago.
and run both territories as a an open-ended Israeli oc- northern Gaza, and poll Hamas’ claims that it act- Shikaki said support for the
precursor to statehood. U.S. cupation, pollster Khalil Shi- workers only conducted ed to defend a major Is- PA declined further, with
officials have said the PA kaki said. interviews in central and lamic shrine in Jerusalem nearly 60% now saying it
must be revitalized, with- “Israel is stuck in Gaza,” southern Gaza, including against Jewish extremists should be dissolved. In the
out letting on whether this Shikaki told The Associated among displaced people, and win the release of Pal- West Bank, Abbas’ contin-
would mean leadership Press ahead of the publica- because they could not estinian prisoners. Only 10% ued security coordination
changes. tion of the survey’s results reach the north during the said they believed Hamas with Israel’s military against
The PA administers pock- by his Palestinian Center cease-fire. has committed war crimes, Hamas, his bitter political ri-
ets of the Israeli-occupied for Policy and Survey Re- The survey provided insights with a large majority say- val, is widely unpopular.
West Bank and has gov- search, or PSR. “Maybe the about Palestinian views of ing they did not see videos Netanyahu has attacked
erned Gaza until a take- next (Israeli) government the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas showing the militants com- Abbas for years, alleging
over by Hamas militants in will decide that Netanya- and other Gaza militants mitting atrocities. he was enabling anti-Is-
2007. The Palestinians have hu is not right in putting all in southern Israel, in which The videos, along with ex- raeli incitement in the West
not held elections since these conditions, and they about 1,200 people were tensive eyewitness testi- Bank, while at the same
2006 when Hamas won a might decide to withdraw killed, most of them civil- mony and reporting by time permitting regular Qa-
parliamentary majority. unilaterally from Gaza. But ians. More than 18,400 Pal- The Associated Press and tari support payments to
Prime Minister Benjamin the default for the future, estinians, about two-thirds others, show that hundreds Gaza that strengthened
Netanyahu, who leads the for Israel and Gaza, is that of them women and chil- of civilians in southern Is- Hamas. Critics of Netanya-
most right-wing govern- Israel is in full reoccupation dren, have been killed in a rael, including women and hu’s overall approach say
ment in Israel’s history, has of Gaza.” sustained bombing cam- children, were abducted it was aimed at preventing
soundly rejected any role The survey was conduct- paign and ground offen- or gunned down inside negotiations on Palestinian
for the PA in Gaza and in- ed from Nov. 22 to Dec. sive in Gaza during Israel’s their own homes. There statehood.
sists Israel must retain open- 2 among 1,231 people in subsequent war on Hamas, have also been accounts The poll also signaled wide-
ended security control the West Bank and Gaza now in its third month. of widespread sexual vio- spread frustration with the
there. and had an error margin Shikaki said that Gaza resi- lence. international community,
Arab allies of the U.S. have of 4 percentage points. dents are more critical of But while Israeli media particularly the United
said they’ll only get involved In Gaza, poll workers con- Hamas than those in the coverage has focused in- States, key European coun-
in post-war reconstruction if ducted 481 in-person inter- West Bank, that support tensely on the attack in the tries and even the United
there’s a credible push to- views during a weeklong for Hamas typically spikes weeks since, Palestinian Nations, which has pushed
ward a two-state solution, cease-fire that ended Dec. during periods of armed outlets have been fixated for an immediate humani-
which is unlikely under the 1. conflict before leveling out, on the war in Gaza and the tarian cease-fire in Gaza.
Netanyahu government Shikaki, who runs regular and that even now most suffering of civilians there. “The level of anti-American-
dominated by opponents polls, said the error margin Palestinians do not back Shikaki said the most popu- ism and anti-Westernism is
of Palestinian statehood. was one percentage point the militant group. lar politician remains Mar- huge among Palestinians
With survey results indicat- higher than usual because Despite the devastation, wan Barghouti, a promi- because of the positions
ing a further erosion of the of disruptions caused by 57% of respondents in Gaza nent figure in Abbas’ Fatah they have taken regarding
PA’s legitimacy, at a time the mass displacement of and 82% in the West Bank movement who is serving international humanitarian
when there’s no appar- residents during the Israel- believe Hamas was correct multiple life terms in an Is- law and what is happening
ent path toward restarting Hamas war. Hundreds of in launching the October raeli prison for his alleged in Gaza,” Shikaki said.q
credible negotiations on