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What Gazans Want

(Foreign Affairs) Scott Atran and Angel Gomez - A survey we conducted in Gaza in January before the ceasefire, carried out by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), found that 47% preferred the dissolution of Israel. A March 2024 PSR poll found that more than 50% of Gazans supported Hamas's control, as most Gazans believed that Hamas was winning the war against Israel. By January 2025, only a fifth supported Hamas rule. Yet support for other political factions, including the PLO, was even lower. Moreover, most Gazans do not believe that Hamas has won the war. Yet, a majority of the population continues to be committed to Hamas's political ideals, such as sharia as the law of the land, the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to the homes they lost in 1948, and the quest for national sovereignty for Palestinians. Gazans show a marked tendency to view the conflict with Israel in religious rather than political terms. In January, barely 1% considered themselves "not religious," whereas 67% identified themselves as "somewhat religious" and 31% as "truly religious." The "truly religious" and "somewhat religious" alike judged Israelis to be significantly less human than Palestinians. Scott Atran is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Changing Character of War Centre at Oxford University. Angel Gomez is Professor of Psychology at the University in Madrid.
2025-02-25 00:00:00
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