Mohammed Cherkaoui, a professor at George Mason University, says there have been two shifts that explain the rise of support for Hamas in the occupied West Bank.

“One, the Palestinian cause is not dead, it’s not going away, it has brought it back significantly [now] there is a conflict to be addressed … the Israeli occupation becomes a hot issue once again, Cherkaoui told Al Jazeera.

“Number two, there is a split of opinions between Hamas, Fatah, and the Palestinian authorities since the breakaway of Gaza.”

“The PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation) or the Palestinian Authority has not been able to contain all the dynamics of this conflict, therefore…there is the diplomatic front in Ramallah and there is the military front in Gaza,” he added.