Hamas’s popularity is falling, but Khalil al-Hayya remains more popular than PA’s Abbas - poll

Hamas's popularity has seen a significant decline among Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, according to a new poll by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. However, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya still garners more support than Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The survey, conducted between August 5 and 8 among 1,270 Palestinians, revealed that Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah figure currently imprisoned in Israel, is the most favored candidate for Palestinian leadership. He would receive 54% of the vote in a hypothetical presidential election. Al-Hayya would secure 26% of the vote, while Abbas would receive only 14%. Support for Hamas figures has dropped, with Khaled Meshaal seeing a 10% decrease in support over the past ten months.

Satisfaction with President Abbas's performance stands at a low 20%, with 76% of Palestinians expressing dissatisfaction. This sentiment is stronger in the West Bank (16% satisfaction) than in Gaza (26% satisfaction). A significant majority, over 80% in both regions, desire Abbas's resignation. The poll also indicates widespread belief in corruption within PA institutions, with 65% viewing the PA as a burden.

While Barghouti leads in presidential election projections, 40% of respondents indicated they would not participate in such elections. However, if legislative elections were held, featuring all factions from the 2006 vote, turnout could reach 66%. Fatah would lead with 32% of the vote, closely followed by Hamas at 29%. Hamas support in Gaza specifically, while declining from 49% ten months ago, still stands at 34% in this poll, compared to Fatah's 30%.