Hamas increases control by elections
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Hamas made a strong showing in local elections in the West Bank, the first time the Islamic terrorist group competed at the polls, according to preliminary elections results obtained Friday.
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Hamas declared itself a significant political force after West Bank local election results were announced yesterday. It was the first time the Islamic movement, branded a terrorist
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Hamas Islamist fighters gained ground on Wednesday against forces loyal to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas in battles for control of the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian supremacy struggle he termed "madness".
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A top PLO body gave its approval Thursday for President Mahmoud Abbas to hold new presidential and legislative elections, a high-stakes gamble meant to sideline Hamas militants but also bound to set off more confrontations between Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas.
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GAZA CITY: The Islamist movement Hamas gave its backing on Sunday for plans to hold elections next year, urging Palestinians to register for the polls which it is expected to contest for the first time.
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Palestinians in the Gaza Strip voted in their first municipal elections under Israeli occupation on Thursday in a test of grassroots support for President Mahmoud Abbas and rival Islamist groups.
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The terrorist group Hamas made a strong showing in the first municipal elections held in the Palestinian territories since 1976 according to preliminary results from the 26 communities which voted yesterday.
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The radical Palestinian group Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist organization, won an overwhelming victory in Thursday's local elections in the Gaza Strip, capturing almost two-thirds of all the seats being contested.
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Hamas has full security control, but no political authority. Ministries were deserted, the courts were not operating. All the major Fatah security headquarters have been ransacked along with the private homes of their key officers.
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Palestinians in the Gaza Strip voted in  their first municipal elections under Israeli occupation on  Thursday in a test of grassroots support for President Mahmoud  Abbas and rival Islamist groups.
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Hamas swept seven out of 10 councils in  the Gaza Strip's first local elections, seen as a test of  strength between the Islamic militant group and new President  Mahmoud Abbas, final results showed on Friday.
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New Palestinian parliamentary and presidential elections could be organized in less than 90 days but may not be possible any time soon without Hamas's consent, officials involved in election planning said Saturday.
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Palestinians voted on Thursday in the  first municipal elections in the Gaza Strip, a test of strength  between new President Mahmoud Abbas and the militant Hamas  group.
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Israeli troops in the West Bank arrested more than 30 senior Hamas members early Thursday, including a Cabinet minister, legislators and mayors &#151; pressing forward with an offensive against the Islamic militant group.
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Islamic resistance group Hamas has scored significant successes in Palestinian municipal elections, initial results have shown. An unofficial tally gave Hamas control of seven councils against 11 for the Fatah
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Hamas is demanding changes to the election system employed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the 1996 elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council (the parliament).
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The radical Hamas movement made a surprisingly strong showing in local Palestinian elections, according to preliminary results obtained Friday, signaling a drop in popularity for the ruling Fatah movement ahead of next month's presidential poll.