Shock survey: Half of Gazans open to emigration as Anti-Hamas protests surge 

A recent survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) from May 1-4, 2025, reveals that 49% of Gazans are willing to apply to Israel for assistance in emigrating to other countries via Israeli ports and airports, while 50% are opposed. The poll, conducted six weeks after Israel resumed military operations in Gaza following a collapsed ceasefire, highlights growing desperation amid the enclave’s dire conditions. The Ramallah-based think tank, funded by Western donors, surveyed 1,270 individuals across Gaza and the West Bank, with a margin of error of ±3.5%.

Despite Israel’s 19-month campaign reducing much of Gaza to rubble and a March 2025 aid blockade exacerbating food shortages for its 2.3 million residents, many Gazans fear emigration equates to surrendering their homeland to Israel. Hardline Israeli ministers, aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to redevelop Gaza as an American-controlled coastal resort, openly advocate for the population’s relocation. However, Israeli efforts to secure host countries for Gazans have seen little success.

The survey also uncovered significant discontent with Hamas, with 48% of Gazans supporting recent anti-Hamas protests across the enclave, compared to only 14% in the West Bank. These demonstrations, a rare public challenge to Hamas’s rule, reflect frustration with the group’s governance. Yet, 54% of Gazans believe the protests were orchestrated by external forces, possibly Israeli intelligence, with only 20% viewing them as genuine expressions of public sentiment.

Support for Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel continues to wane. Only 38% of Gazans now view it as the “right decision,” down from 54% in September 2024 and 71% in March 2024, compared to 59% in the West Bank. Overall, 50% of respondents across both regions still support the attack, a decline from previous polls. These findings underscore a complex mix of desperation, disillusionment, and division among Palestinians as the conflict persists.