The IDF on Thursday revealed documents of the Hamas security services, showing the terror group faked the results of opinion polls conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, headed by Khalil Shikaki, that were considered to be the most reliable indicators of Palestinian society.
According to the military, the revelations are especially significant because the polls led Israelis to believe that most Gazans support Hamas, despite the calamity it brought on the strip.
The documents found by troops in Gaza reveal the lengths Hamas went in their efforts to forge the opinions of Gazans in the survey. The aim, the IDF said, was to create a false representation of public support, while on paper the documents showed the true opinions.
For example when asked: In your opinion, was the decision to attack Israel on October 7 the right one?Hamas claimed that 71.3% said it was, 23% said it was not and 6% did not know. The actual results were: 30.7% said it was the right decision, 64.4% said it was the wrong decision and 4.7% did not know.
When asked who Gazans believed would win the war, Hamas claimed 56% thought Hamas would, while the actual figures show only 30% thought so while 51.2% believed Israel would win.
The poll also asked who Gazans would support in an election for leader. Hamas claimed 48% support for Ismail Haniyeh, while in reality only 21.3% of Gazans supported the now-slain Hamas leader to lead the Palestinians. The figures also showed most Gazans would not participate in elections at all at 52.3%, while Hamas claimed that only 23% said they would not vote.
Most telling was the real, compared to fake, results when Gazans were asked if they wanted Hamas to rule over the strip after the war. Hamas claimed 59% of Gaza residents wanted them to remain in power when the war ended, while in fact only 32.3% said Hamas should rule.
Among the documents found by troops was a letter claiming the polling was amended according to past practices, and the results sent to the Palestinian Center for Policy, which is based in Ramallah. The letter also said that the results as they were sent by Hamas were published last Thursday. The poll was given to the Al Jazeera network, which broadcast its results to its viewers. "The true results attached are secret and for a limited distribution," the letter read.
The IDF said there was no indication in the documents found that the polling center was in any way collaborating with Hamas to provide fake results.
In a file called "Security Communications and Public Opinion," Hamas' general security agency details how opinion polls are to be influenced and media campaigns run to spread confusion in the internal Palestinian political arena including disparaging those who voiced criticism against the terror group, including accusations that they were collaborating with Israel.
Shkaki said in response that he could not know if Hamas provided erroneous information. His office said that he has faith in the non-partisan pollsters in Gaza.