Despite international calls for peace, new polling suggests a sobering truth: most Palestinians, especially in the West Bank, do not support disarming Hamas or removing its military leadership, even if doing so would end the war in Gaza.
According to the latest public opinion poll from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 64% of Gazans and 85% of West Bank residents oppose disarming Hamas. A staggering 73% overall reject the idea that the war would end even if Hamas released Israeli hostages. In other words, most Palestinians appear more committed to the continuation of armed resistance than to securing an immediate ceasefire.
That reality prompted a strong reaction on Twitter/X:
The poll, conducted May 1–4 among 1,270 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, revealed more than a few eye-opening figures:
While support for the October 7 attack has declined, especially in Gaza, that hasn’t translated into support for compromise. A majority continues to oppose any plan involving Arab peacekeeping forces, disarmament, or Hamas’s exit from power. Even anti-Hamas protests within Gaza are widely dismissed as “driven by external hands.”
The report itself sums it up:
“The overwhelming majority is opposed to Hamas disarmament or the departure of its military leadership from the Gaza Strip.”
These findings complicate the widespread narrative that Palestinians are simply victims of Hamas rule. A substantial portion appears to stand behind Hamas’s tactics and rejects the premise that peace depends on their demilitarization.
With civilian casualties mounting and Gaza in ruins, the real question now may be: do Palestinians actually want this war to end if ending it means surrender?
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