Palestinian poll finds Gazans prefer PA rule while West Bankers want Hamas

A new poll by Arab World Research and Development, a Ramallah-based research center, finds that Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are unhappy with their leaders and would prefer an alternative.

In Gaza, which Hamas has ruled for nearly two decades, only 5 percent say they would support a Hamas-led government, while 31% would support a government led by the Palestinian Authority.

In contrast, in the West Bank, where the PA President Mahmoud Abbas is in charge, respondents prefer Hamas to the PA by a margin of 25% to 10%.

The poll also finds that 29% of West Bank Palestinians are “very or somewhat satisfied” with the performance of Abbas and his government.

The survey, published Saturday, was conducted between November 27 and December 2 among 704 adult Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

The poll revealed a stark contrast in outlook between Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank when it comes to looking ahead. In Gaza, the percentage of respondents who believe that things are heading in the “wrong direction” dropped to 60% from 84% in an October poll. In the West Bank, the pessimistic outlook jumps from 59% of respondents in October to 79% in the current survey.

According to the research center, in the West Bank, Palestinians have seen “deteriorating political, security and economic prospects,” while in Gaza they have felt encouraged by the ceasefire signed between Israel and Hezbollah in November.