Despite a humanitarian crisis, 71 percent of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank still favor Hamas's decision to carry out the 'offensive' and many want the terrorist organization to stay in power.

The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) released its latest poll on public opinion across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, finding that widespread support remains for the Hamas-led October 7 “offensive” and a surprise upswing in favor of a two-state solution.

Despite the ensuing war, the humanitarian crisis and the atrocities committed against Israelis, the vast majority of Palestinians in the West Bank (71 percent) and the Gaza Strip (71 percent) still viewed the October 7 “offensive” as the correct decision even though 80 percent of Gazans reported a family member had since been killed or wounded.

Even though the initial “offensive” was supported by the vast majority, only nine percent responded that Hamas was to blame for the suffering of Gazans, a drop from 11 percent three months ago, yet 20 percent placed the blame on the U.S. and 64 percent on Israel.

Gazans had previously responded in even higher numbers (19 percent) that the terrorist organization was to blame for the suffering, however the latest poll indicated an increased 56 percent responded that Hamas would win the war and even more (59 percent) preferred that it would continue controlling Gaza. Although there was a considerable split between respondents in the West Bank (64 percent) and in the Strip (52 percent).

The vast majority were against proposed solutions, whether a Palestinian Authority (PA) rule with or without its current president Mahmoud Abbas, or international forces taking over after the war. Most of all, the Gazans did not trust the regional powers, Jordan and Egypt barely getting support from 22 and 12 percent of the population.

Distrust was also seen in the Gazans’ response to a scenario that Israel entered Rafah with tanks and displaced people began rushing to Egypt in search of safety, with only 24 percent thinking this would happen and 68 percent responding that Egyptian soldiers and police would shoot at Palestinian attempting to cross the border, as such 69 percent would not go to the border if others were seen rushing to it.

While PSR summarized that a majority of Gazans were “unable to find food,” the polls provided showed a different picture, with 96 percent responding that they could reach a place that provided food or water, though 77 percent said it would be with great difficulty or risk.

Though not explicitly elaborating on the difficulties or risks, particularly in humanitarian zones to which a large portion of Gazans have fled from the warzones, PSR polled the experience of fairness at aid distribution centers. Local Palestinian groups were viewed as the most discriminatory by a vast majority of 90 percent, UNRWA close behind at 70 percent, with others at 58 percent and 56 percent.