Palestinian polling shows Marwan Barghouti as preferred leader

A recent poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) between August 5 and 8, 2026, indicates that fundamental political attitudes in Palestinian society remain largely unchanged despite the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

In a hypothetical presidential election, imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti would receive 54% of the votes among likely voters. He is followed by Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya with 26%, while current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would receive only 14%.

The survey also shows that if legislative elections were held today, Fatah would receive 32% of the vote and Hamas’s “Change and Reform” list would receive 29%. Additionally, the data reveals that overwhelming majorities of respondents oppose the unconditional disarmament of Hamas, and approval ratings remain high for Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.