Palestinian youths attend Hamas training camp in Gaza
Palestinian youths attend Hamas training camp in GazaAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90

Almost three-quarters of Palestinian Arabs support Hamas in its "armed struggle" against Israel, a recent poll reveals Monday.

According to the poll, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Political Research, 74% of Palestinians in the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Gaza support Hamas's fight against Israel. 

56% of Palestinians support the PA adopting Hamas's strategies in its "struggle" and 68% support the resumption of rocket fire on Israel in the event the Jewish state refuses to lift its transport, import, and export restrictions on Gaza. 

37% believe that armed conflict is the "most effective" way to gain "Palestinian rights," versus 29% in favor of negotiations and 30% in favor of the PA taking steps to establish peaceful relations with Israel. 

In the absence of a peace process and negotiations, 82% are in favor of the PA joining international organizations as the "State of Palestine". 68% also support "peaceful resistance" - an ironic euphemism for often violent riots - in addition, while 48% are for another intifada (terrorist campaign), and 43% for the total dissolution of the PA.

The survey also revealed that Palestinian loyalty is split almost down the middle. In the PA, 48% support PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and 47% support Hamas politiburo leader Ismail Haniyeh; in Gaza, support for Abbas stands at 46%, and Haniyeh at 52%.