By Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute
August 24, 2026
Hezbollah has long functioned as Iran’s heavily armed proxy in Lebanon.
Iran has funded and armed terrorist groups throughout the Middle East, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Yet these are among the regional actors receiving the highest Palestinian satisfaction ratings.
There are, admittedly, some encouraging findings in the poll.
Support for armed struggle as the most effective strategy has fallen from 41% to 27%, while support for negotiations has increased from 36% to 44%.
These are significant changes.
Yet even here, caution is required. Half of Palestinians still reject the proposition that armed resistance has failed to protect Palestinians or end the conflict despite the destruction suffered in Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
Moreover, 36% still support a return to confrontations and an armed intifada (uprising) against Israel.
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