A third of American Muslims say Hamas did not commit murder on Oct 7

A new poll reveals how the fallout from the Hamas assault on Israel last year has divided American society with the potential to influence the outcome of November's election.

It found that almost four in 10 American Muslims believe Hamas did not commit murder and rape on October 7 last year.

Some 31 percent said they did believe the gunmen were responsible for such crimes.

The findings, from an online poll of 1000 members of the general public plus a sample of 500 Muslims, illustrate how decades of conflict in the Middle East are seen through deeply different lenses.

Some 59 percent of Muslims said the attack was carried out to 'forward the Palestinian cause' while a majority of the general public (51 percent) said it was because 'Hamas wanted to kill Jews and is set on the destruction of Israel.'

Only 14 percent of American Muslims said Hamas unleashed its attack for that reason.

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And the poll, conducted by J.L. Partners for the conservative Heritage Foundation, shows how the war will cast a long shadow over the election.

A third (34 percent) of Muslims said the Israel-Palestine conflict was the most important issue for the Nov. 5 election. They ranked it more important than inflation and the economy, which was the top option for the general public.

In contrast, only four percent of Americans at large said the conflict was the most important thing when it came to deciding their vote.

It illustrates the difficulties facing Vice President Kamala Harris, as she tries to win back voters frustrated by the way President Joe Biden has offered full-throated support, and weapons, to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Friday she met with Arab American and Muslim leaders in Flint, Mich., to hear their concerns, one of a series of meetings she has held to try to placate critics from the left.

The poll showed how much work she has to do. It found that almost half (49 percent) of American Muslims accuse Vice President Kamala Harris of being too pro-Israel, while 29 percent said she had things about right, and seven percent said she was too pro-Palestine.

Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the Hamas assault on Israel. Hundreds of gunmen poured out of Gaza to launch an orgy of violence, killing more than 1100 people and taking 250 hostage.

It was the deadliest day in Israel's history.

And accounts of women being raped and sexually assaulted soon followed. 

Israel responded by launching a bombardment of Gaza, as it promised to destroy Hamas.

American campuses erupted in protest as the Palestinian death toll mounted, and reports of anti-Semitic sentiment rocketed. 

The bombardment continues, with more than 40,000 people dead, and the conflict has only widened in recent weeks as Israel targets Iranian proxies elsewhere.

Israel has sent ground troops into Lebanon and pounded Hezbollah targets in populous areas, including the capital Beirut.

On Monday, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets at the Israeli port city of Haifa while the Israeli military also said it had intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired by Iranian proxies in Yemen.

Israel marked the anniversary of the attack with ceremonies and protests in Jerusalem beginning at 06:29 am, the moment when Hamas launched its attack.

In Washington, President Joe Biden lit a candle at the White House to commemorate the dead.