More than half of the Palestinians want an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, according to a public- opinion poll published Wednesday. The poll, which was conducted by the AWRAD research and development center in Ramallah, showed that 64 percent of Palestinians expressed support for Hamas's conditions for a cease-fire. While a majority of 64% expressed support for Hamas's conditions, only 15% said they favored the position of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the results revealed. The survey showed that 51% of respondents favored an immediate cease-fire that would be followed by negotiations on the points of disagreement. An overwhelming majority of respondents, 93%, said they had a negative view of the US role in the crisis. According to the results, Hamas's performance has won the backing of 85% of Palestinians in the West Bank. Abbas, by contrast, won the approval of only 13%. Nearly 60% of respondents said that the Palestinians were winning the war, as opposed to 7% who said that Israel was victorious so far. The poll indicated a rise in Hamas's popularity among Palestinians over Fatah. Hamas received support from 31% of the respondents, while Abbas's Fatah faction won only 23%. The poll covered some 1,100 Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and was conducted between July 19 and July 21.
