Rising support for Hamas reshapes Gaza’s political landscape

The Wall Street Journal reports that Hamas’s popularity among Palestinians in Gaza has grown since the ceasefire, posing a challenge to the U.S. President’s proposal to “establish peace in the Gaza Strip by disarming the armed movement.”

According to the newspaper, security is one of the main drivers of this shift. Over the past month, as the ceasefire held and Israeli forces withdrew, Hamas fighters reappeared in the streets, patrolling as police and internal security, and targeting criminals.

Gazans — even those opposed to Hamas — have welcomed the decrease in crime and looting. Hazem Sarour, a merchant from Gaza City, said: “Even people who oppose Hamas want security. We witnessed a security collapse marked by thefts, bullying, and lawlessness. No one but Hamas can stop it, which is why people support them.”

Before the ceasefire, more than 80% of UN and affiliated humanitarian aid in Gaza was intercepted or seized by armed groups. But last month, this number dropped to around 5%. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs attributed the decline to increased aid deliveries and the activity of “Hamas’s blue police” in preventing crime.

According to the report, this reduction in crime — along with continued support for armed resistance against Israel — has allowed Hamas to rebuild its image and exert greater control over Gaza. Many Palestinians are now viewing the movement with a more pragmatic lens.

A poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 51% of Gaza residents viewed Hamas’s performance in the recent war positively; this figure was 43% in May and just over 39% a year ago. In a separate poll, 41% of Gazans said they would support Hamas in a hypothetical election — the highest support level since December 2023.

The Wall Street Journal stressed that this rise in Palestinian support for Hamas could make it difficult to implement the second phase of Trump’s plan, which calls for disarming Hamas and removing its role in Gaza’s future governance.

According to the same poll, 55% of Palestinians oppose disarming Hamas, while 44% support it. Also, 52% of Gaza residents oppose the deployment of an international force to disarm the group.