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The reputation of Islamist Hamas in the West Bank has risen sharply following the bloody attack on Israel that left 1,200 dead and the resulting Gaza war, according to a West Bank survey. This is evident from a study published on Wednesday by the renowned Palestinian research institute PSR. 44 percent of people in the West Bank supported Hamas, compared to just 12 percent there in September.

In the Gaza Strip, where more than 18,600 people were killed, nearly 50,600 injured and widespread destruction was caused by Israel’s military offensive to destroy Hamas, Hamas’s reputation rose, albeit less sharply, from 38 percent to 42 percent. Meanwhile, the popularity of the more moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas continued to decline. According to the survey, 88 percent of respondents were in favor of his dismissal.

However, opinions differ among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on whether the Hamas attack on Israel more than two months ago was appropriate. While 82 percent in the West Bank supported the attack, in the directly affected coastal strip this was only 57 percent. However, only 1 percent of respondents in the West Bank and 17 percent in the Gaza Strip believe Israel could achieve its war goal of destroying Hamas. Nearly two-thirds expect Hamas to continue ruling the Gaza Strip in the future.

90 percent of those surveyed said Hamas had not committed atrocities in Israel, as evidenced by videos and testimonies from survivors. A large majority accuses Israel’s Western supporters, especially the US, of moral failure in light of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. A majority believes that Western countries’ support for a two-state solution is not really serious. (sda/dpa)