Hamas fall behind in opinion poll

The popularity of the Hamas militant group has fallen far behind rival Fatah, according to an opinion poll released on Monday, with Palestinians overwhelmingly opposed to the Islamic group’s tactics in the Gaza Strip.

The poll, conducted by A-Najah University in the West Bank city of Nablus, was the latest sign of public discontent with Hamas following its violent takeover of Gaza in June, when its gunmen defeated pro-Fatah security forces.

In the poll, 78% of respondents said they didn’t approve of the practices of the Executive Force, the paramilitary Hamas force policing Gaza.

Although Hamas leaders said the Executive Force had brought law and order back to chaotic Gaza, 65% of respondents said security was deteriorating in the strip. Just 21 per cent said they believed Hamas is capable of governing the Gaza Strip.

Pollster Hussein Ahmed said the figures showed a large segment of Palestinians who used to support Hamas have lost faith in the group.

“In reality, Hamas’s actions were not very different from Fatah, despite promising a different mandate,” Ahmed said.