A huge victory for Hamas in Palestinian parliamentary elections has radically transformed the region's political landscape and generated unease in western capitals wary of the dramatic rise to power of the armed Islamic fundamentalist movement, writes Nuala Haughey in Jerusalem
Following last night's confirmation of its startling electoral triumph, Hamas will attempt to form a coalition government in the face of mounting international pressure for it to renounce violence and assume a purely political path or risk diplomatic isolation.
Preliminary results of the first Palestinian parliamentary polls in a decade showed Hamas won 76 seats to 43 for its chief rival, the ruling Fatah movement, giving the Islamists an overall majority in the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council. The 13 remaining seats went to several smaller parties and independents.
The scale of Hamas's triumph far exceeded even its own expectations and starkly illustrated the electorate's disenchantment with the secular moderate Fatah over its failure to achieve Palestinian statehood.
Hamas, listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU and US, decimated Fatah's support base in West Bank urban areas, including Jerusalem, Hebron and Ramallah as well as its Gaza stronghold.
Hamas supporters were last night celebrating its triumph, but the movement will face many challenges and dilemmas as it transforms itself from a radical resistance movement dispatching suicide bombers to a major player in the Palestinian Authority charged with the welfare of three-and-a-half million Palestinians.
Israel and the US have long refused any dialogue with the group which has gained popularity among Palestinians for its resistance against Israeli occupation as well as its extensive charity network and clean image. In its first official comment, Israel urged the EU, the biggest aid-donor to the Palestinian Authority, to take a firm stance against the establishment of a Palestinian "terrorist government".
Israel's acting prime minister Ehud Olmert said he would not hold negotiations with a government that does not stick to its most basic obligation of fighting terror.
In Washington, US president George Bush said Hamas's victory was a sign Palestinians were unhappy with the status quo and showed democracy at work, which was positive for the Middle East. But he reiterated his view of Hamas as a terrorist group.
"I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform," he said.
While Hamas has recently moderated its stance toward Israel, and did not mention its official goal of destroying the Jewish state in its official electoral platform, its leaders said last night it would continue resistance. "The Palestinian people voted for resistance and Hamas will turn this victory to the service of the Palestinian people and the protection of the resistance," said the movement's senior leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniya.
Some commentators said the movement, which has adhered to a year-long de facto truce, should be encouraged by western governments to choose a political path rather than face isolation. While senior Fatah members Saeb Erekat and Jibril Rajoub dismissed Hamas's offer to share office, some analysts believe the two movements might form a national unity government in the coming days.