Poll shows over half of Palestinians say decision to launch Oct 7 attacks was correct

Peloni:  The attempt to pretend that this war is against Hamas alone will only serve to see any resolution to this war fail.   The Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and in Judea/Samaria still revel in the memory of the October 7 Massacre, which they still revere as being a key victory in lifelong, generational war against Israel and the Jewish people.  While recognizing this fact makes the solution needed more difficult, recognizing the reality of this situation is the only way any framework might actually hope to approach a peaceful outcome.  Recalling that Jordan was created to be the Arab portion of Palestine is a vital and necessary element of what might help pursue peace, and having a leader there which supports this truth would be an absolute necessity.

Hamas continues to enjoy high support among Palestinians despite two-year war

All Israel News Staff | Published: October 29, 2025

A recent Palestinian poll found that more than half of Palestinians surveyed in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria say the decision by Hamas to carry out the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel was correct.

The recent poll, conducted after the release of the living Israeli hostages and the Palestinian prisoners, surveyed 1,200 Palestinians in both the Palestinian Territories in Judea and Samaria (referred to in the poll as the West Bank), and in Gaza.

The survey found a general split among Palestinians regarding the Gaza peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, but a clear resistance to the demand for Hamas to disarm.

While around 70% of those surveyed had heard of the Trump Gaza peace plan, there appears to be a clear split on the response to it. Taken as a whole, there is an almost even split, with 47% expressing support for the plan and 49% expressing opposition.

However, when framed between the two territories, the difference in opinion becomes more pronounced: 60% of Gazans surveyed expressed support for the Trump plan, while the same number of Palestinians in the West Bank opposes it.

Overall, the Palestinian population expressed skepticism regarding the plan’s ability to bring an end to the conflict and a Palestinian state. The majority of those surveyed, 70% total, do not believe the Trump plan will lead to a Palestinian state within the next five years, while a slightly smaller percentage, 62%, expressed doubt that the plan would bring a permanent end to the war. Again, West Bank Palestinians were more skeptical than those in Gaza that the peace plan brings peace.

Support for the Hamas decision to attack Israel shows a general decline in support, with the exception of a slight uptick in support in Gaza since the similar poll done six months ago.

When asked whether Hamas’ decision to launch the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion was correct or not, 53% of the respondents said that the decision was correct. However, when broken down between the responses in Gaza and those in the West Bank territories, the support for the attacks in the West Bank is clearly higher, with 59% of respondents in the West Bank supporting the decision as opposed to 44% in Gaza.

Regardless of their opinion regarding the correctness of Hamas’ decision to launch the attacks, most of the surveyed Palestinians oppose the disarmament of Hamas, as called for in the Trump peace plan. About 70% of all those surveyed opposed Hamas disarmament, with that opposition being even higher in the West Bank respondents, at 78%. In Gaza 55% expressed opposition.

Similarly, most of those surveyed opposed the entry of an armed Arab security force, with 68% of respondents opposing it. Opposition was also higher in the West Bank population than in Gaza, 78% compared to 52%.

The survey also found that most of those polled support a continued Hamas presence in the Palestinian political arena. In a series of questionable about elections for parties or for specific leaders, respondents continued to favor Hamas over the Palestinian Authority, with a very high level of distrust for current PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The survey found that 80% of respondents want Abbas to resign.

Asked to say which party they support, 35% of those surveyed indicated they support Hamas over any other political party.

Figure 12: Which of the following political parties do you support?

Overall, the survey demonstrates that despite two years of war, in which the IDF inflicted heavy losses on Hamas, and which resulted in the destruction of around 70% of all buildings int he Gaza Strip, the Palestinian people largely continue to support Hamas, and oppose key elements of the Trump peace plan.