Itongadol.- Another public opinion poll published Wednesday showed that Hamas was continuing to lose its popularity among Palestinians.
The poll, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center, also indicated a drop in the number of Palestinians who support the Oslo Accords and violence.
Last week, a poll published by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey in Ramallah also showed a decline in Palestinians\’ support for Hamas.
Wednesday\’s poll, which covered 1,179 people over the age of 18 and has a margin error of three percent, found that more than 80% of Palestinians support non-violent means of "resistance" against Israel.
About 60% said that military operations harm the Palestinians\’ national interests.
The percentage of those who support military operations against Israel dropped from 50% in December 2012 to 31% in this poll.
Moreover, support for firing rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel has dropped sharply; while it was 74% in December 2012, it now stands at 38%, the poll showed.
With regard to overall support, the popularity of Hamas dropped sharply from 28% in December 2012 to 20% in this poll.
Similarly, the poll found that less Palestinians seem to support the Oslo Accords. While 68% said back in 1997 that they supported the Oslo Accords, this poll showed that only 43% favor the agreements.
The poll also found that 33% of the Palestinians believe that the Oslo accords have harmed their interests, while another 34% consider them to have made no difference.
More than 55% of those surveyed were also very critical of the Palestinian Authority\’s security coordination with Israel.
The poll showed that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians [90%] believe that Hamas and Fatah should pursue national reconciliation even if this leads to the US and Israel imposing sanctions on the Palestinians.
Also, a majority of Palestinians [59%] says both Hamas and Fatah are acting in their own interests instead of national interests.
Twenty-eight percent blamed Hamas for the ongoing divisions among Palestinians as opposed to 19% who held Fatah responsible.