Nearly Half of Palestinians Say Elections Will Have No Impact or Worsen Their Lives

Nearly half of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe the legislative elections planned for November will either have no impact on their lives or make their conditions worse. A poll published by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center found that 46.4% held that view.

The survey was based on 1,200 face-to-face interviews with closed-ended responses. Thirty-two percent of respondents said their situation would improve “in some way,” while 14.8% expected it to improve “to a great extent.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced in June that legislative elections would take place in November, two decades after the previous vote of its kind. The plans aim to include the Gaza Strip. Presidential elections are also intended to take place in the first quarter of next year.

Trust in the two main Palestinian political parties remained low. Hamas was trusted by 6.7% of respondents, including 9.9% in Gaza and 4.5% in the West Bank, down from 12% in a July 2022 survey. Support for Fatah fell to 22.3%, compared with 28.8% four years ago. In the West Bank, trust in Hamas dropped from 18.7% in October 2023 to 8.5% in September 2025 and 4.5% in the current poll.

Ending the war in Gaza was the top priority for the next legislature, chosen by 50.1% of respondents across the West Bank and Gaza. Improving economic conditions ranked second at 16.9%, followed by rebuilding the Palestinian enclave devastated by the Israeli army at 13.4%.

The two-state solution was the most popular answer on the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with 47.9% support. A binational state received 21.7%, while 18.6% chose a single Palestinian state. Asked about the most effective way to end the occupation and establish a Palestinian state, 55.8% favored peaceful negotiations, 17.8% nonviolent resistance and 13.3% armed action.