Hamas celebrates landslide poll victory in West Bank

Palestinian supporters of Hamas stand behind a Palestinian flag and a green Hamas flag during a rally
celebrating Hamas winning municipal elections in major West Bank cities, in Jabalya refugee camp in
the northern Gaza Strip December 16, 2005. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

telegraph: Hamas supporters have celebrated a landslide election victory in major West Bank towns, the strongest sign yet of the Islamic militant group's growing political appeal before parliamentary elections next month.

Israel responded with concern, saying that a Palestinian government dominated by Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, would not be a partner for peace. The results shocked officials from the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. They blamed their poor showing on disarray in the party, which split this week in a dispute over its slate for the elections on Jan 25.

Hamas overwhelmed Fatah in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, capturing 73 per cent of the vote and 13 of 15 council seats. The Islamic party did well in other local elections, winning 72 per cent of the vote in el-Bireh, a large suburb of Ramallah.

Hamas' schools, clinics and other welfare programmes -coupled with its resistance to Israel's occupation - have won it support among Palestinians fed up with Fatah's corruption and inability to bring order to the lawless streets of the West Bank and Gaza. Link