A significant decline in support for the October 7 attack is revealed in a Palestinian poll

According to a poll released on Tuesday, the majority of Gazans believe that Hamas’ decision to launch the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was incorrect. This finding indicates a significant decrease in support for the attack, which was the catalyst for Israel’s devastating Gaza offensive.

The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) conducted a poll in early September, which revealed that 57% of the survey participants in the Gaza Strip believed the decision to commence the offensive was incorrect, while 39% believed it was correct.

The decision was deemed inaccurate by a majority of Gazan respondents in a PSR poll for the first time since Oct. 7. The poll revealed that the attack in the West Bank was met with a decrease in support, despite the fact that a majority of 64% of respondents there still believed it was the correct decision.

The decision was deemed proper by 57% of Gazan respondents in the previous PSR poll, which was conducted in June.

The Gaza health ministry has reported that the Israeli military offensive that has devastated the Gaza Strip since last October has resulted in the deaths of over 41,000 Palestinians.

According to Israeli tallies, Israel initiated its offensive subsequent to the unprecedented Hamas incursion, which resulted in the abduction of an additional 250 individuals and the deaths of 1,200 individuals.

PSR reported that it conducted a face-to-face survey of 1,200 individuals, with 790 of them in the West Bank and 410 in Gaza, with a 3.5% margin of error.

Since the Oct. 7 assault, PSR polls have consistently demonstrated that a majority of respondents in both Gaza and the West Bank believe the attack was a correct decision, with support generally being greater in the West Bank than in Gaza.

According to PSR, the poll published on Tuesday was the first time since October 7 that its findings demonstrated a substantial decrease in the favorability of the attack and in the expectation that Hamas would prevail in the ongoing conflict in both the West Bank and Gaza.

In general, the poll revealed that the decision was perceived as correct by a majority of 54% of respondents in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Israeli military accused Hamas in August of attempting to manipulate the results of PSR polls in order to fraudulently demonstrate support for Hamas and Oct. 7. However, the military denied that PSR was co-operating with Hamas.

The allegation was investigated and considered seriously by PSR, according to the organization. PSR stated on Tuesday that its analysis of the data did not identify any inconsistencies that would occur when data is indiscriminately altered. Additionally, the organization stated that a review of quality control measures “convinced us that no data manipulation took place.”

PSR stated that “almost 90% of the public believes Hamas men did not commit the atrocities depicted in videos taken on that day.” Additionally, support for Oct. 7 did not necessarily equate to support for Hamas or for killings or atrocities against civilians.

The poll revealed a decrease in the percentage of respondents in Gaza who stated their support for Hamas, from 38% to 35%. However, the Islamist movement maintained a higher level of popularity in Gaza and the West Bank than Fatah, which was headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.