Hamas says it has won parliamentary majority

reuters: A Hamas leader said on Thursday an initial count of votes showed the militant Islamist group had won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament, putting it in a position to shape a new government.

"Hamas has won more than 70 seats in Gaza and the West Bank, which gives it more than 50 percent of the vote," said Ismail Haniyeh, who headed Hamas's list in Wednesday's elections.

The electoral commission had no immediate comment and was expected to issue results later on Thursday. On Wednesday, exit polls showed Hamas had won at least 53 seats and that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement had got 58. Link