Has Palestinians' perception of Hamas changed?

Tania Kramer in Jerusalem

Abeer, who asked to be identified only by her first name, is currently sheltering in the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Ten months into the war, with new cease-fire talks underway in Doha and Cairo, it is hard for Palestinians like her to know who or what to believe anymore. "People are just very tired, exhausted and fed up with this reality. They are just hoping that the war will end and that they will announce a cease-fire," she said.

Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators are currently working on a three-phase cease-fire agreement that would include the release of some of the Israeli hostages. The daily bombardment by the Israeli military and the almost constant search for a safe place amidst widespread destruction and constant displacement, leaves little time to think ahead. But Abeer is also angry with the militant Islamist group Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US, Germany, the EU and others, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.

"How could I support an organization that is not trying to reach a cease-fire and end the war? They do not represent me," Abeer told DW via voice message "On a personal level, I want them to disappear, and I am not alone. Who wants to stay with a movement that is causing deaths and destroying our lives?" There appears to be growing criticism of Hamas in Gaza, with some people even posting angry rants against the group on social media.

"There is wider criticism of Hamas, in the streets, in tents and on social media, and there are several reasons for this," journalist Fathi Sabbah told DW via voice message from Khan Younis. "The war has lasted much longer than expected and people can no longer bear the burden of the war and its devastating consequences, such as daily lack of water and electricity, high prices, lack of income and cash flow problems."

Israel launched retaliatory attacks after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 Israelis and abducted 251 people on October 7, 2023. Last week, the war passed another grim milestone: According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, over 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza. More than 10,000 people are missing, most presumed dead under the ruins of destroyed homes. Large areas of Gaza have been reduced to rubble. Israel claims it has killed 17,000 militants.

It remains difficult to gauge public opinion about the militant group. During 17 years of repressive rule by the de facto Hamas government, people have generally preferred to voice criticism in private for fear of reprisals.

"There were demonstrations in Gaza some months before the war. People became critical because living conditions were worsening, and they blamed Hamas for that. I imagine now there is much more criticism because of the suffering of Gazans," said Khalil Shikaki, a public opinion specialist and pollster in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The rare protests in Gaza were often triggered by the difficult economic situation under Israel's decade long blockade of the Gaza Strip. Hamas security forces generally responded by cracking down on demonstrators, arbitrarily arresting journalists and political opponents. These crackdowns have been widely documented by Palestinian and international human rights groups. Now, 10 months into the war, some Gaza residents are no longer holding back.

"The government and the [Hamas] organization have dragged the country into an unequal conflict," said Mahmoud, who has been displaced multiple times in the current war and is now sheltering in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

"For 17 years, Hamas ruled the Gaza strip, facing many social, economic and political problems, caused by the [Israeli] siege that was imposed due to Hamas' intransigence," he told DW via voice message. "This is just another disaster they have brought upon us."

There has always been both opposition to and support of Hamas's rule in Gaza. The Islamist movement seized power from the Palestinian Authority in 2007. Israel, and partly Egypt, tightened its land, sea and air blockade of Gaza, isolating the people in the tiny territory from the rest of the world for many years.

Recent opinion polls by Palestinian pollsters give a mixed picture of Hamas' standing among Gazans. The extreme situation in Gaza has made it difficult to conduct polls. Northern Gaza and areas of heavy fighting, said one pollster, are inaccessible to field researchers conducting face-to-face interviews. In a survey published in May by the Arab World Research and Development group (AWRAD) in Ramallah, just 24% of the respondents in Gaza said they had "positive" feelings about Hamas. When asked about whether things in Palestine were heading in the right or wrong direction, 70% of Gazans said "wrong" and just 27% said "right."

In its poll, the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) shows more support for Hamas. In July, 38% of Gazans said that they support Hamas. According to this poll, 24% favor the secular Fatah party, while 15% support third parties, and 24% said they don't know.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank however, Hamas has seen an increase in support. But questions about actual voting patterns remain theoretical, as the last time Palestinians were able to vote was in the 2006 legislative elections, won by Hamas. The election was almost immediately followed by international and domestic political turmoil. Veteran Ramallah pollster Khalil Shikaki says those who supported Hamas before the war have not changed their minds. "They share Hamas basic values, they are religious, they don't believe in separation between state and religion. And these values don't change overnight," explained Shikaki. Hamas is also deeply rooted in parts of the society through its charity and social work.

Ibrahim Madhoun is an Istanbul-based Palestinian analyst considered close to Hamas. He says that Hamas is aware of the criticism, but that this is part of the struggle. "There is no doubt that this war is heavy, destructive and catastrophic for the people of the Gaza Strip, and the [Israeli] occupation was brutal in it, and there are many voices that reject the war," said Madhoun. "Sometimes they blame the occupation and sometimes Hamas, and as long as there is war these voices will continue."

In Gaza, the war's constant displacement and widespread destruction of whole neighborhoods are eroding social, and in some areas, governing structures. In total, 86% of the Gaza Strip have come under evacuation orders by the Israeli military since October 7, according to the UN. As a result, residents report that law and order have broken down in some areas. Gaza's Hamas-run police force has largely disappeared from the streets as its officers are also targeted by the Israeli military.

If a cease-fire is reached, the question remains of what comes next for Gaza. According to AWRAD's survey, 80% of the respondents in both the West Bank and Gaza want to see a Palestinian-led government. Those critical of Hamas are hoping for a change in the political set up. "People are definitely not ready to accept Hamas rule anymore," said Mahmoud from Deir al-Balah. "The biggest disaster would be for Hamas to return to power after the war."

But it remains uncertain whether the people of Gaza will have a say in their future. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to remove Hamas from power and prevent the Palestinian Authority from returning to Gaza.