Hamas won local elections in the West Bank town of Qalqiliya and was headed for victory in the Gaza Strip town of Rafah, Palestinian election officials said Friday.
Hamas and the ruling Fatah movement competed in 84 communities Thursday.
Final results indicated that Fatah won 51 of the races and Hamas won 28.
Turnout was high, with 70 percent of voters going to the polls in the West Bank and 80 percent in Gaza Strip, election officials said.
Some 2,500 candidates from Hamas, Fatah and independent lists were competing for 906 local council seats in communities that included the major towns of Bethlehem and Qalqiliya in the West Bank and Rafah in Gaza.
