IDF News: Hamas Manipulates Palestinian Polls to Inflate Support for Terrorism

 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that they have uncovered documents in Gaza revealing that Hamas has been manipulating Palestinian polls to exaggerate support for the group, its leadership, the October 7 attack, and the ongoing war.

The manipulated polls were conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), which have been widely cited as reflecting strong Palestinian support for Hamas and its actions. However, the reality may be significantly different.

Translated documents show that Hamas "corrected" the results of these independent surveys. For instance, while less than 31% of respondents actually supported the October 7 attack, the adjusted results falsely reported that over 71% were in favor. Similarly, support for armed conflict was increased from 28% to 39%, while support for political negotiations and non-violent resistance was reduced from a combined 70.3% to just below 50%, making it appear as if a majority opposed peaceful methods.

Hamas also altered satisfaction ratings for its leader, Yahya Sinwar, boosting his approval from 22.1% to 52%, turning what would have been perceived as a failure into apparent success.

According to the IDF, the documents discovered highlight a deliberate effort by Hamas to misrepresent public opinion to maintain the facade of widespread support following the October 7 massacre. These falsifications are part of a broader strategy to mask the organization's internal decline and eroding public backing. The IDF emphasized that these manipulations are aimed at misleading Palestinian, Arab, and international audiences about the true level of support for Hamas and its actions.

The documents, dated March 2024, include original survey results and the falsified versions, showing how Hamas altered data to benefit its narrative and leaders, particularly Yahya Sinwar. There is no evidence to suggest that the polling institute was complicit in these activities; rather, the documents detail covert measures by Hamas to distort the results after data collection.

It remains unclear exactly how Hamas "corrected" the survey outcomes—whether by controlling who participated in the surveys or by tampering with the data after it was collected. Nonetheless, these revelations could prompt analysts to re-evaluate Palestinian public opinion on terrorism and potentially foster a more accurate understanding, which could improve the prospects for peace in the long term.