Palestinian Poll: 77% of Gazans say Israel ‘painfully beaten’ by Hamas

 

 

The survey of Gazans also showed that over 70% of the Palestinians polled are worried of another, future military confrontation with Israel.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

An overwhelming majority of Palestinians (77%) believes that Israel has been “painfully beaten” by Hamas, a public opinion poll published on Monday in the West Bank showed.

Gaza City

Hamas supporters celebrate with people what they said was a victory over Israel in Gaza City, August 27. – Photo: REUTERS

The poll, conducted by the Beit-Sahour Palestinian Center for Public Opinion in mid-August, also showed that more than 70% of the Palestinians are worried about the possibility of another military confrontation with Israel.

The poll, which covered 1,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, revealed that 52% of respondents supported the resumption of the peace process with Israel, while 41% opposed it. Five percent said they had not made up their mind on this issue.

Asked about Operation Protective Edge, 55% of respondents said that Israeli deterrence has “receded” as a result of the war.

Dr. Nabil Kukali, president and founder of the survey center, said that the poll found that most Palestinians evaluated their economic situation as bad and that their main concern at present is security and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The poll found that only 23% of respondents saw the performance of the Palestinian “national consensus” government during the war to be good as opposed to 43% who evaluated it as moderate.

 

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Poll-Nearly-8-in-10-Palestinians-say-Israel-painfully-beaten-by-Hamas-373105