Rejecting IDF claims, Palestinian pollster says ‘highly unlikely’ Hamas falsified its results, but vows to probe

Prominent Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki says it is “highly unlikely” that Hamas falsified the results of polls conducted in Gaza by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), which he heads, rejecting claims by the IDF based on documents it said it found in Gaza.

“Our Gaza team worked with us for more than 20 years. But we will investigate all claims as part of a commitment to ensure full quality control,” Shikaki tells The Times of Israel.

Earlier today, the IDF claimed that it found evidence that the terror group was conducting clandestine actions to fraudulently influence the results of the polls, but said that the documents do not prove that PCPSR was cooperating with Hamas.

Shikaki maintains that the IDF claim is part of a “battle over narratives” between the military and the terror group.

“The center does not involve itself in politics, which is how I view this, the army against Hamas in the battle over narratives,” Shikaki says.

An alleged Hamas document released by the IDF shows the results of a PCPSR poll from March 2024, with both the original data and the falsified numbers. The published poll showed 71% of Palestinians supporting the October 7 Hamas attack, while the IDF says the actual data showed support from just 30.7% of respondents.