By Xinhua
Gaza : Around 67 percent of Palestinians blame Hamas for a wave of infighting in June which ended with Hamas defeating security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and taking control of the territory, according to a poll published on Thursday.
The poll, published by al-Azhar University in Gaza, found out that 66.67 percent of the 789 interviewed held Hamas responsible for the deadly fighting that left up to 200 people dead.
The survey was conducted between Nov. 1-7 in Gaza Strip and West Bank with a margin of error of 3 percent. It focused on people’s views on the current situation, including the political and economical crisis in the Palestinian territories.
According to the poll, 57.33 percent of the interviewees believed that the behavior of Hamas’ executive forces has harmed the Palestinian cause.
About 54.67 percent of the pollees said that the Gaza takeover was upon orders from outside while 45.35 percent said the decision was made by Hamas independently and without foreign intervention.
On elections, 54.8 percent said that they would vote for Fatah candidates if new presidential elections were held while 13.7 percent said they would opt for Hamas runners.
If parliamentary elections were held now, 51.7 percent said they would vote for Abbas’ Fatah faction and 15.3 percent said they would vote for Hamas which now controls the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) after winning the January 2006 elections.
The majority of the interviewed, that is, 88 percent of them, believed the current economic, political and security situation in Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories threatened the living conditions of the Palestinian families due to the international siege.
Israel has closed all the crossing points into and out of the Gaza enclave when Hamas took control of the strip, home to 1.5 million, in June. Basic necessities like food, medicine and fuel are the only things allowed to enter Gaza Strip since then.
However, 53.33 percent said they oppose a deal of truce between Hamas and Israel “because this doesn’t help the national interest” while 46.67 said they accept a truce.
As for the rocket attacks against Israel, 66.33 percent have demanded that rocket attacks be stopped because they increase the suffering of the Palestinian people.