Immediately prior to the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, #Hamas had terrible and declining support among Gazans, who saw it and not Israel or Egypt as primarily responsible for widespread poverty. Arab Barometer completed surveys in Gaza on October 6. Among the results:
"Only 16 percent blamed externally imposed economic sanctions" for widespread poverty and food shortages. 31 percent "identified government mismanagement as the primary cause of food insecurity in Gaza."
"Only 40 percent said that freedom of expression was guaranteed to a great or moderate extent, and 68 percent believed that the right to participate in a peaceful protest was not protected or was protected only to a limited extent under Hamas rule."
"73 percent of Gazans favored a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On the eve of Hamas’s October 7 attack, just 20 percent of Gazans favored a military solution that could result in the destruction of the state of Israel." 54 percent of Gazans favored a two-state solution.
Writing in @ForeignAffairs, @AmaneyJamal and @mdhrobbins of @ArabBarometer, show that in the past Gazans rally around support when Israeli military actions ramp up, as they are now. That's understandable--as is @Israel's need to defend itself and remove Hamas, a governing group that is committed to the eradication of Israel.
I hope that Israel's hunt for Hamas leadership is swift, effective, and targeted in such a way that it allows Gazans and Israelis to reach a lasting peace in the near future.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-palestinians-really-think-hamas