(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people living in the Palestinian Territories would be against the entry of United Nations (UN) or Arab troops into the Gaza Strip, according to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion. 70.6 per cent of respondents oppose a military intervention.

Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas won the January 2005 presidential ballot in the Palestinian Territories with 62.32 per cent of all cast ballots. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election, securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Ismail Haniyeh officially took over as prime minister in March. The Israeli government believes Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of 377 citizens in a variety of attacks, which include dozens of suicide bombings.

In February, Hamas and Fatah leaders reached an accord which set the guidelines for a power-sharing Palestinian administration, headed by Hamas, which would "respect" past peace agreements with Israel. In June, amid a wave of violent clashes between Palestinian supporters of the Hamas and Fatah factions, Hamas militants seized control of Gaza. Abbas issued a decree to form a 12-member emergency government—based in the West Bank—and expelled Hamas from the administration.

In August, United States president George W. Bush called for an international conference to discuss peace in the Middle East. Only 38.2 per cent of respondents support the participation of Palestinian leaders in the summit to be held in November, while 57.1 per cent oppose it.

Yesterday in his address to the UN general assembly, Bush discussed the situation in the Middle East, saying, "The Palestinian Territories have moderate leaders, mainstream leaders that are working to build free institutions that fight terror, and enforce the law, and respond to the needs of their people. The international community must support these leaders, so that we can advance the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security."

Polling Data

Do you support or oppose the entry of United Nations (UN) or Arab troops into the Gaza Strip?

United States president George W. Bush called on Jul. 16, 2007, for holding an international peace conference for the Middle East. Do you support or oppose the participation of the Palestinian leadership in this conference?

Source: Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO)
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,025 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, conducted from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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