Palestinian support for Hamas's October 7th attack rose by three percent, from 50% to 53%, from May to October of 2025, a recent poll by People’s Company for Polls and Survey Research (PCPSR) revealed.
Palestinians in the West Bank were surveyed at 76 different locations, and those in Gaza at 44. Between October 22 and 25, 1,200 Palestinians were polled, 760 of whom resided in the West Bank, and 440 of whom resided in Gaza.
The survey's margin of error is +/-3.5%.
This comes despite a decline in expectations of a Hamas victory over Israel, with one in three Gazans anticipating an Israeli win amid a fragile yet ongoing US-brokered ceasefire.
Overall, residents from the West Bank expressed greater support for the October 7 massacre since the first survey conducted in December 2023.
Gazans showed significantly higher support for the US-brokered Gaza deal versus their West Bank counterparts. Roughly seven in ten Palestinians have heard of the Trump plan, according to poll findings, with support higher among those aware of it.
While two-thirds of Gazans supported the deal, the same fraction of West Bank respondents opposed it.
Additionally, there was overall high satisfaction with the prisoners that Israel released as part of the plan.
The majority of respondents supported Hamas’s response to the deal, but opposed the disarmament of Hamas. Nearly three-quarters (70%) of Palestinians, including almost 80% in the West Bank and 55% in Gaza, opposed the idea of the terror group laying down arms.
More than 60% doubted that the plan would end the war, and 70% said they do not believe that the ceasefire would result in a Palestinian state within five years. Many expected renewed fighting, while nearly half anticipated Arab normalization, albeit without statehood.
Regarding day-after governance, Gazans are more optimistic than West Bank residents about Palestinian Authority (PA) reforms.
Confidence in the PA's leadership was low among respondents. There was overwhelming dissatisfaction with President Mahmoud Abbas, with only about 20% of Palestinians expressing support.
Two-thirds of Palestinians express support for Hamas
Meanwhile, 60% of those surveyed expressed approval of Hamas as a governing body.
Fatah’s presidential candidate, Marwan Barghouti, was widely supported. Hamas demanded Barghouti’s release from Israeli prison as part of the hostage-prisoner exchange, but Israel refused.
Despite overwhelming support for Barghouti, Hamas remains the frontrunner as a governing Palestinian party.
Overall, deep skepticism about the viability of external peace plans prevails.
“Despite immense suffering, Gazans exhibit greater pragmatism, showing more openness to negotiated settlements and practical governance. On the other hand, civilians from the West Bank are more skeptical of external plans and more supportive of armed struggle,” the PCPSR said in a statement.
There is also strong public demand for internal legitimacy through elections and self-reliant security, reflecting deep distrust in the PA, Israel, and other Arab nations. The idea of an armed Arab force entering Gaza to maintain security was overwhelmingly rejected by Palestinians, with almost 70% expressing disapproval.
Regardless of opposition to an internal Arab force, Palestinians expressed approval of regional allies. Yemen’s Houthis were the most popular, followed by Qatar, Hezbollah, Iran, Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
On the global stage, China received the most approval, with Russia, Spain, France, the UK, and the US trailing behind.