A new poll indicates that almost half of Palestinian Authority Arab residents of Gaza would leave their homes and flee the area, which is ruled by the Hamas terrorist organization if given the chance to do so.

Some 41 percent of respondents to the Near East poll of 900 residents said they would leave immediately, according to IDF Army Radio. Hamas was elected by the grassroots PA population to lead the government two years ago in a landslide victory over the rival Fatah faction, led by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).