Palestinians increasingly favoring ‘peaceful negotiations’ over ‘armed resistance’ - poll
More than half of Palestinians (55.8%) now view peaceful negotiations as the best way to achieve their national goals, a significant increase from 2023, when only 28% said the same.
Recent polling data reveals a significant shift among Palestinians towards favoring peaceful negotiations over armed resistance to achieve their national goals. Only 13.3% of respondents view violence as the most effective method, a marked decline from 2023 when 37.1% held the same view. Conversely, an overwhelming 55.8% now believe that peaceful negotiations are the best approach.
The October 7 attack, which was initially seen as a boon for Palestinian interests, has since lost its appeal, with only 15.7% of Palestinians now believing it served national interests. This decline follows a steady drop from 30.9% in September 2025 and 45% in September 2024.
Hamas's invasions have been widely viewed as detrimental to national interests, with a majority of Palestinians in both the West Bank (50.1%) and Gaza (35.2%) expressing this sentiment. There has also been a notable increase in support for a two-state solution, with nearly half (47.9%) of respondents now preferring it over alternatives. Conversely, the desire for a single Palestinian state, without Israel, has diminished to 18.6%, down from 24.7% in 2023.
Elections scheduled for November 2026 are viewed with considerable skepticism, with only 28.8% of respondents expecting them to take place. The majority believe they will be postponed (35.5%) or canceled altogether (22.4%).
Trust in political parties and factions remains low, with only 55% of Palestinians trusting existing organizations. Trust in Hamas has plummeted from 12% in July 2022 to 6.7% in August 2026, while trust in Fatah has also decreased from 28.8% to 22.3%.
Despite these challenges, Fatah remains more popular than Hamas, with 27.5% of respondents expressing a preference to vote for Fatah. However, trust in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas continues to be low, at only 6.9%. This sentiment is further reflected in the relatively low support for imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, who stands at 6.3%, compared to the 5.8% support for Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah leader based in the UAE.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
