SURVEY: Majority of Palestinians support Hamas retaining control of Gaza after the war

By lauraharris // 2024-03-27

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A recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research revealed that a majority of Palestinians believe Hamas should maintain control over the Gaza Strip at the conclusion of the conflict with Israel. The survey, which gathered responses from 1,580 adults in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from March 5 to 10, asked Palestinians: "If it was up to you, which of those would you prefer to see in control of the Gaza Strip?" Fifty-nine percent of respondents say they prefer Hamas to control Gaza after the war. Notably, respondents in the Gaza Strip (52 percent) are less likely to support the notion than residents of the West Bank (64 percent). The percentage of Palestinians who support Hamas keeping its power over the region has only dropped by one percent compared to a poll conducted in December. Meanwhile, only 13 percent believe that the internationally recognized interim government of Palestine, the Palestinian National Authority, or simply the Palestinian Authority (PA), without current President Mahmoud Abbas should take over Gaza. Slightly fewer people – 11 percent – believe an Abbas-controlled PA should take over Gaza. Three percent believe one or more Arab countries should take control of Gaza, one percent say the United Nations should take control and one percent believe Gaza should be occupied by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Another question provided respondents with different scenarios regarding how Gaza should be governed at the end of the war. Sixty-three 63 percent say they prefer the return of Hamas – 66 percent of respondents from the West Bank and 59 percent from Gaza say they prefer Hamas' return to power. Eighteen percent – nine percent from the West Bank and 33 percent from Gaza say they prefer the return of the PA under Abbas, while four percent say they want Gaza to be controlled by a group of tribes or large, influential families.

Netanyahu also likes to take control of Gaza

If Israel were to come out victorious, it is unlikely the desires of Palestinians would be taken into consideration regarding the future of Gaza. Back in November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would take control of security in Gaza for an unspecified period after the current conflict ends. Netanyahu said this during an exclusive ABC News interview with journalist David Muir. At the time, Muir asked Netanyahu who should govern the territory after the war. "I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, have the overall security responsibility [in Gaza] because we've seen what happens when we don't have it. When we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn't imagine," Netanyahu said. However, Mustafa Barghouti, the head of the influential political party the Palestinian National Initiative, warned that Israel occupying Gaza would lead to disaster. Barghouti said Palestinians needed a unified leadership that "could prepare the ground for free democratic elections and end the occupation, not only of Gaza Strip but also of the West Bank and East Jerusalem." (Related: Israel-Hamas war will continue until rights are recognized – analyst.) In other words, Palestinians should be the ones reoccupying and governing Gaza once the war is over. Watch this clip about the warning signs of World War III. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

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Netanyahu also likes to take control of Gaza

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