HAMAS DOMINATES GAZA ELECTIONS

Fatah Militants Shut Gaza Election Offices - Nidal al-Mughrabi (Reuters)
Witnesses said 20 masked militants belonging to Abbas's Fatah movement burst into Central Elections Committee (CEC) premises in central Gaza on Sunday and closed them "until further notice," protesting at Fatah losses in last week's municipal ballot. "We tried to explain to (the gunmen) that we had nothing to do with the local elections, that we were responsible only for preparing the parliamentary election, but they wouldn't hear of it," said regional CEC coordinator Jamil al-Khaldi.

Hamas Wins Larger Towns in PA Local Elections - Arnon Regular
In PA local elections held last Thursday, Hamas scored unprecedented victories and now controls at least 48 local authorities in the territories. Fatah said it had won 55% of the seats in the local councils, but they are concentrated in small, unimportant authorities, while Hamas gained significant victories in most of the larger towns in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Fatah candidates won decisive victories in 38 authorities with a total population of 230,000. Hamas won in 30 authorities whose total population exceeds 600,000. (Ha'aretz) Hamas won all 15 seats on the Kalkilya municipal council in the West Bank. In Bethlehem, Hamas won five out of seven seats allocated for Muslims. (Eight seats are allocated for Christians to ensure that a Christian is elected as mayor.) In Rafah in Gaza, Hamas candidates won 13 of the 15 council seats. Hundreds of Fatah gunmen took to the streets in al-Bureij to protest against the results and vowed to prevent Hamas by force from taking over the municipality. (Jerusalem Post)

See also Hamas Emerges as Political Force - Khaled Abu Toameh
Analysts in Ramallah concluded that while Fatah had moved one step forward, Hamas had made three steps in the same direction, winning in traditional Fatah strongholds in Gaza such as Rafah, al-Buriej, and Beit Lahiya. Altogether, Hamas won 65-70% of the votes in seven areas in the Gaza Strip. A Fatah leader said, "The Gaza Strip will be controlled by Hamas and Islamic Jihad after the Israelis leave." (Jerusalem Post)

See also The Bitter Taste of the Hamas Victory - Danny Rubinstein
Barring any change in Palestinian public opinion in the coming weeks, the evacuation of Israel from Gaza will leave control over the Strip in the hands of Hamas. The Hamas victory in the municipal elections in Gaza was impressive. Hamas is perceived in Gaza as being on the verge of receiving the Gaza Strip, without anything given to the retreating Israelis in return. Hamas does not recognize the State of Israel and supports the continuation of the armed struggle. Hamas publications continue to refer to Israel as the "Zionist entity" and to the "occupied territories of 1948." Palestine in its entirety is defined as belonging to the Waqf (Muslim religious trust). (Ha'aretz)