Following the 7 October assault on Israel by Hamas and the killing of Israelis and abduction of hostages, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has led to unprecedented Palestinian casualties and destruction in Gaza. More than a year-and-a-half on, efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire and hostage deal have yet to yield results. Intensive diplomatic efforts are required to craft an agreement to end the war in a way that provides Palestinians in Gaza with a different and better future and Israel with the security it needs.
TBI commissioned Zogby Research Services to carry out a face-to-face poll across the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, surveying the attitudes of Palestinians towards the war, the Palestinian leadership and the future of Gaza. This was conducted from 9 April to 12 May 2025 and is the third in our series focusing on Palestinian governance.
This latest poll once again demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians in Gaza are seeking a change, with the ultimate agency to govern themselves. When asked which entity they prefer to govern Gaza immediately after the war, less than 4 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza said they wanted Hamas to govern the Strip (down from 7 per cent in our last poll, conducted in July and August 2024).[_] Once again, our poll found significant opposition to Hamas among Palestinians in Gaza, with nine in 10 in Gaza (92 per cent) holding Hamas responsible for the current situation, virtually equal to Israel (93 per cent).
As the most recognised alternative to Hamas among Palestinians, Gazans’ preferred choice of government for the Strip is the Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas (35 per cent). The second most popular option among Gazans is a transitional international coalition working with a local Gaza administration of Gazan representatives (27 per cent).
When Gazans are asked to imagine a vision for the future, and to select which states they would most like Gaza to be like, by far their preferred choice is the UAE (27 per cent), followed by Turkey (15 per cent), Singapore (14 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (12 per cent).
When asked about overall security arrangements for Gaza immediately following the war, only 8 per cent of Gazans say they prefer to see Hamas in control of security after the war, dropping from 11 per cent in the 2024 poll. The most popular option among Gazans for security arrangements is international coalition forces (42 per cent). Second came the PA security forces (40 per cent), though support dropped by 13 per cent on the 2024 poll.[_] Gazans’ preferred states to be incorporated into such an international coalition force are Qatar (46 per cent), Egypt (37 per cent), Saudi Arabia (19 per cent), UAE (19 per cent), Jordan (17 per cent) and the USA (14 per cent).
We also found that respondents in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are in strong agreement that the PA requires reform, with 85 per cent of West Bankers stating that moderate to deep reform is required.
Notably, support for “armed resistance” as a political strategy to advance Palestinian national interests dropped across all parts of the territory, scoring lowest in Gaza, at only 4 per cent (down from 10 per cent in 2024). Support for “armed resistance” remains highest in East Jerusalem (22 per cent). Conversely, support for negotiations and peaceful resistance increased across the entire territory (21 per cent support on average, versus 12 per cent in 2024).
The poll underlines the urgency of establishing a new reality for Gaza, and of providing Palestinians with a better future with ultimate agency to govern themselves, free from interference from Israel, and one that forges a path ultimately towards a two-state solution.
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Methodology:
In April 2025, TBI commissioned Zogby Research Services to conduct a poll in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem on Palestinian attitudes to the war, governance, services and security. Between 9 April and 12 May, Zogby Research Services conducted an in-person survey of 1,435 Palestinians across Gaza (426), the West Bank (759) and East Jerusalem (250). Gazans were surveyed in North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis and Rafah.