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Hamas Falsified Gaza War Poll Results to Exaggerate Public Support
(Ha'aretz) Fadi Amun - The IDF said on Aug. 29 that Hamas manipulated public opinion poll results it sent to a respected polling institution in order to falsely inflate public support. Documents found in tunnels in Gaza indicated Hamas efforts to change results before returning them to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, headed by political scientist Khalil Shikaki. Shikaki's polling center is one of the leading authorities on Palestinian public opinion, holding significant credibility around the world. One of the documents details how Hamas edited its survey results and returned them to the research institute for publication. In a March survey, the polling institute reported that 62% of Gaza's population was satisfied with Hamas's performance in the war. The original survey indicated only 32% support. The published results stated that 71% believed Hamas's decision to attack Israel on Oct. 7 was correct, while in the original document, only 31% supported Hamas's decision.