Hamas wins major university election in West Bank

RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Hamas-affiliated student body Islamic Wafaa’ Bloc won the student council elections held at the Birzeit University in West Bank for the third year in a row, a university dean announced Wednesday.

According to the head of the Elections Preparatory Committee and Dean of Student Affairs, Mohammad al-Ahmad, the Islamic Wafaa’ Bloc won 25 out of 51 seats, while the Fatah-affiliated Yasser Arafat Bloc bagged 22 seats. The Democratic Progressive Student Pole got four.

According to al-Ahmad, a total of 7828 out of 10,800 eligible students voted in the elections.

Hamas issued a statement saying the victory of the Islamic Wafaa’ Bloc was a message that Palestinians supported resistance.

"This victory is a message of support for the Palestinian uprising and hunger strikers in Israeli prisons," it said.