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Public opinion on Palestinian support or rejection of Hamas has become increasingly polarized on social media and in the media, prompting many to question popular sentiment toward the movement.
The last Palestinian legislative elections were held in 2006, which were won by Hamas. Tensions escalated between Hamas and its rivals in the Fatah movement. Clashes broke out between the two parties in June 2007, following which Hamas formed a government in Gaza, while the PA and Fatah governments ran the West Bank.
Some opinion polls aim to gauge public sentiment towards the movement following October 7, but the percentages and numbers vary, and the BBC has not been able to verify their accuracy from independent sources.
For example, a poll conducted by the Ramallah-based Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) indicates that Hamas’s performance rating has dropped from 76 percent in November 2023 to 55 percent last May.
The center noted significant differences between the positions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Positive evaluations of Hamas’s performance during the ongoing war reached 76 percent among West Bank respondents and only 24 percent among Gaza respondents.
A BBC Arabic team attempted to reach people in Gaza to get their firsthand opinions regarding the management of the crisis, the continuation of the war, the stalled negotiations, and the popularity of Hamas.
A number of Palestinians in the Strip spoke to us, and by sharing their stories we aim to present a comprehensive picture of the diversity of opinion.
The BBC contacted Hamas leaders for comment, but had not received a response at the time of writing.
(All names have been changed at the request of the participants in this report.)
Comment on the image, “The human capabilities of the Qassam Brigades are fine,” said Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, in a televised speech broadcast by Al Jazeera News Network on July 7.
I support Hamas but they “miscalculated”
Mohammed from Gaza says he supports Hamas but believes it “miscalculated” when it carried out the October 7 attack. “It is true that the occupation is killing us and I support the resistance, but not in the way that the war imposed on us as a result of this attack. We should have considered the consequences before taking action,” Mohammed continues.
The young Palestinian blames the movement for “the conditions that the people of the Gaza Strip are living in now, with civilians being killed and the infrastructure being destroyed. We are tired of the economic and living conditions. For example, here in the north we are suffering from severe food shortages.”
For his part, Abdullah believes that the October 7 attack is “a natural manifestation of the conflictual relationship between the colonizer and the colonized, a relationship that has characterized all struggles once morest occupiers, and that the attack is the result of a set of policies imposed by Israel.”
“The people of Gaza were forced into a war they had no part in, and they paid a heavy price for it,” said Rima, who lives in Khan Younis. “Hamas destroyed us with its attack on October 7. We are exhausted and officially depressed. We are living in famine and there is no water to drink. We drink salty water, eat canned food, and live in tents surrounded by mosquitoes and worms.”
“Why is my five-month-old baby, who was born during the war and has not seen his father yet, suffering? Why can’t I afford diapers and milk? We have been wronged. We are sick and tired. Most of the people of Gaza have either died, become beggars, or turned to theft,” Rima added.
“You want Hamas? Take it.”
Mahmoud from Gaza says that the war has destroyed the Palestinians “in every aspect, humanitarian, educational, health and economic. Schools, hospitals and educational institutions have been destroyed. Our greatest ambition has become for the displaced to return to their destroyed homes.”
Mahmoud describes the external support for Hamas as “disgusting,” especially its supporters in Jordan and Lebanon, “as they see what is happening in Gaza as something positive, and it is absolutely not.”
Mahmoud continues: “What is happening in Gaza is an internal affair, and no Arab citizen has the right to support Hamas… You want to support it? Take it, or come and see the horrors of war and bombing. Try to see your child trembling with fear.”
Mahmoud is skeptical of reports and polls coming out of Gaza that show support for Hamas, saying, “If the displaced people in the tents were asked if they support the movement, of course they would say no.” He adds, “I have been living in Gaza for thirty years, and no research center has ever asked me for my opinion.”
Comment on the image, File photo of Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip, and one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack.
“Shake people’s resilience”
Abdullah says the management of the humanitarian crisis has been very poor, “particularly the displacement policy imposed by the Israeli occupation on two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” He adds: “There are major failures, whether by government bodies that no longer exist in Gaza, or by international and civil institutions that have failed in the face of the enormity of the humanitarian catastrophe,” and that people find themselves “between the trinity of occupation, the greed of merchants, and the lack of aid.”
Abdullah sees this as fueling “the collapse of the home front and undermining people’s steadfastness.” Abdullah says that “the international community should have intervened to stop Israeli policies, but there is a great deal of political collusion. The first responsible party is the international community, and the second is Israel.”
Abdullah points out that the problem with the negotiations lies in “one Palestinian faction monopolizing the decision for peace and war.” He believes that “a unified Palestinian delegation from all factions and forces” should have led the negotiations, in addition to the existence of specific demands that are within “the legitimate Palestinian institution, which is the PLO (Fatah movement) because it enjoys international legitimacy.”
As for Mohammed, he believes that “Hamas has shown flexibility.” He says, “As a Palestinian, I support its demands for the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and for the return of all displaced persons without any conditions. I want my mother and family to return from the south of the Strip to the north.”
For his part, Mahmoud says: “Both parties are responsible for the continuation of the war. Both parties want to gain more time. Netanyahu is afraid that his political career will end, while Hamas’s fate will be unknown if the war ends, so it is trying to achieve the greatest possible gains by prolonging the war and negotiations.”
Muhammad believes that the negotiations file is not a serious file, “because Israel is putting up obstacles with its absolute arrogance,” as he put it.
Image source, Reuters
Comment on the image, The government media office in Gaza warned in July of rising death tolls from hunger.
“I support Hamas now”
Abu Saleh says he fully supports Hamas despite the dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
“I have always had ideological differences with Hamas, but today I stand with it once morest this occupier who has continued to kill women and children, demolish homes, and set the Gaza Strip back a hundred years,” he said. Abu Saleh believes that Israel is not only waging a war once morest Hamas, but once morest “the entire Palestinian people,” he said.
The Israeli military says it operates in accordance with international law and always tries to avoid civilians when carrying out military attacks on the Gaza Strip.
But Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the United Nations, expressed his deep concern last May regarding the lack of adequate protection for civilians and humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, and stressed the need to protect civilians.
The Gaza war began following Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,195 people, most of them civilians, according to official Israeli statistics.
The movement’s fighters also held 251 Israeli hostages inside the Strip, and a swap deal led to the release of 105 of them in November 2023.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Strip has killed at least 38,919 people, most of them civilians, according to data released Saturday by the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Hamas in Gaza: A Divided Palestinian Public
The image of a grieving woman staring at her deceased child’s body at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, is a poignant reflection of the human cost of the ongoing conflict.
The conflict has fueled public polarization over Hamas, with many questioning the movement’s popularity. Opinions on social media and in the media are diverse, with some supporting Hamas and others vehemently criticizing its actions.
Public Sentiment and Polls
The last Palestinian legislative elections, held in 2006, were won by Hamas, leading to escalating tensions with its rivals in the Fatah movement. Clashes between the two parties in June 2007 resulted in Hamas forming a government in Gaza, while the PA and Fatah govern the West Bank.
Several opinion polls attempt to gauge public sentiment towards Hamas following the October 7 attack. While numbers vary, the BBC has not been able to independently verify their accuracy.
For example, a poll conducted by the Ramallah-based Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) shows a decline in Hamas’s performance rating from 76 percent in November 2023 to 55 percent last May. The poll also highlights significant differences between Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, with 76 percent of West Bank respondents positively evaluating Hamas’s performance during the war, compared to only 24 percent in Gaza.
The Voices of Gaza
A BBC Arabic team sought to gather first-hand perspectives from Gaza residents regarding their opinions on the conflict’s management, the war’s continuation, the faltering negotiations, and Hamas’s popularity. Through these testimonies, we present a diverse range of opinions from the Gaza Strip.
I Support Hamas but they “miscalculated”
Mohammed from Gaza, while supporting Hamas, believes the movement “miscalculated” when launching the October 7 attack. He argues that “the occupation is killing us, and I support the resistance, but not the war imposed on us as a result of that attack. We should have considered the repercussions before carrying it out.”
Mohammed attributes the current dire conditions in Gaza to Hamas’s decision, specifically “the killing of civilians and destruction of infrastructure. We are tired of the economic and living conditions. For example, in the north, we are suffering from a great famine.”
“You want Hamas? Take it.”
Mahmoud from Gaza, echoing the sentiment of many, describes the devastation caused by the war, saying it has destroyed Palestinians “in every aspect, humanitarian, educational, health and economic. Schools, hospitals and educational institutions have been destroyed. Our greatest ambition has become for the displaced to return to their destroyed place of residence.”
Mahmoud is critical of external support for Hamas, particularly from Jordan and Lebanon, deeming it “disgusting” because they view the situation in Gaza positively, which he disagrees with. He states, “What is happening in Gaza is an internal affair, and no Arab citizen has the right to support Hamas… You want to support it? Take it, or come and see the horrors of war and bombing. Try to see your child trembling with fear.”
“Shake people’s resilience”
Abdullah from Gaza feels the humanitarian crisis has been poorly managed, citing the “displacement policy imposed by the Israeli occupation on two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” He criticizes both government bodies and international and civil institutions, saying, “There are major failures…that have failed in the face of the enormity of the humanitarian catastrophe.” He believes these failures, along with the “greed of merchants” and lack of aid, have fueled “the collapse of the home front and undermining people’s steadfastness.”
Abdullah believes the international community, along with Israel, shares responsibility for the current situation. Regarding the negotiations, Abdullah states that “the problem…lies in ‘one Palestinian faction monopolizing the decision of peace and war.’” He advocates for a united delegation from all factions, led by the PLO (Fatah movement) due to its international legitimacy, to lead negotiations.
Mohammed, while supporting Hamas’s demand for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and return of displaced persons, feels Hamas has shown flexibility. He desires “my mother and family to return from the south of the Strip to the north.”
“I support Hamas now”
Abu Saleh, despite the devastating conditions in Gaza, expresses unwavering support for Hamas, saying, “I have always had ideological differences with Hamas, but today I stand with it once morest this occupier who has continued to kill women and children, demolish homes, and set the Gaza Strip back a hundred years.” He believes that Israel is waging war not just once morest Hamas, but once morest “the entire Palestinian people.”
The Israeli military, however, emphasizes its adherence to international law and efforts to avoid civilian casualties during military operations. The United Nations, though, expressed deep concern in May 2023 over the lack of adequate protection for civilians and humanitarian operations in Gaza, highlighting the need for civilian protection.
The ongoing Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,195 Israelis, mostly civilians, according to Israeli statistics.
Hamas fighters also took 251 Israeli hostages, but a swap deal in November 2023 resulted in the release of 105. The relentless Israeli bombardment of the Strip has claimed the lives of at least 38,919 people, the majority civilians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
