Half Of Palestinians Oppose Egyptian Role In Gaza

It also found surging popularity for resistance groups struggling to liberate the entire occupied Palestinian territories, Reuters news agency reported.

Conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), the survey showed that 46 percent of the respondents opposed the Egyptian role and 51 percent favored.

However, over 80 percent in the poll backed Cairo’s demand for merging Palestinian security organs under an empowered Interior Minister.

Gaza Ghetto

The Palestinians are deeply concerned that the Egyptian presence will only serve the interests of the Israelis and leave them isolated.

"We see considerable Palestinian concern that what Israel is proposing would leave them in a suffocating Gaza ghetto while it consolidates its main settlement enterprise in the West Bank," PSR director Khalil Shikaki told Reuters.

"This relative lack of support can be explained by a fear that one occupation would end only for another to begin."

Shikaki further said that the Palestinian groups will also come under great pressure to give up resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Fifty-nine percent in the poll worried about armed chaos after a pullout.

Egypt, one of only two Arab states to have peace treaties with Israel, has offered to send up to 200 security experts to Gaza to train Palestinian police in controlling the strip.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has publicly endorsed Egypt’s offer but resisted previous calls for security reforms.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has scheduled the Gaza evacuation for 2005 according to his controversial disengagement plan, welcomed Egypt’s offer of security advisers.

Egypt’s plan hinges on a cease-fire to avoid getting mired in the conflict.

Egypt ruled Gaza from 1948 to 1967, when Israel occupied it in the 1967 war.

Surging Popularity

The poll, which questioned 1,320 people from June 24 to 27, also demonstrated a surging popularity for Palestinian resistance groups and growing support for anti-Israeli occupation.

Fifty-five percent backed attacks on Israelis from Gaza if Israel did not withdraw completely, it showed.

The poll found 35 percent loyal to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza compared with 27 percent for Arafat’s mainstream Fatah movement, weakened by corruption and internal feuding.

It was Fatah’s poorest poll since the still ongoing Palestinian Intifada against Israeli occupation erupted in 2000.

Palestinian resistance factions have already voiced reservations about an Egyptian security role in Gaza.