Israel on alert as Hamas leads poll

[bemildred]

An interesting question: do you want a "vacuum of power", or do you want Hamas?

The acting Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, is to hold urgent talks with senior cabinet members and security officials today to discuss Israel's response to the strengthening wave of support for Hamas.

The talks come as it has become clear that the organisation - best known in the West for sponsoring terrorist attacks - is certain to command a substantial share of the vote in this week's Palestinian elections, with profound consequences for the Middle East peace process.

The first voting in the elections began yesterday as thousands of members of the Palestinian security forces cast their ballots ahead of Wednesday's crucial poll. Some 58,000 security personnel have been allowed to vote in advance of the elections to free them on 25 January to protect polling sites in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem amid fears of political violence. Two polls on Friday showed Hamas and the late Yasser Arafat's Fatah neck-and-neck in the last few days of campaigning.

Support for Hamas, which is standing in elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council for the first time, has been buoyed up by its promise to root out corruption and its reputation for discipline and organisation in contrast to Fatah's endless in-fighting that - in Gaza in particular - has left a vacuum of power. Olmert and his officials are certain to discuss the conflicting signals that Hamas has been sending in recent weeks as part of its efforts to win more widespread political support among Palestinians disgruntled with Fatah.

Guardian UK