The Islamic militant Hamas won a landslide victory in Palestinian parliament elections, winning 76 seats in the 132-member parliament, election officials announced today.

Egypt’s foreign minister and Israel’s prime minister today discussed the terms of a planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

ISRAELI leaders told US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday that they will do their utmost to allow Palestinian elections to take place, including easing travel restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel will do “everything in its power” to enable Palestinian elections to take place, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said today, after meeting with outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell told Israel’s prime minister today that the United States wanted to take advantage of new opportunities in the Middle East, and that it supported Palestinian elections set for January 9.