- Title: MIDEAST-ISRAEL/HAMAS Hamas says early Israeli elections show Palestinian victory
- Date: 3rd December 2014
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (DECEMBER 3, 2014) (REUTERS) SPOKESMAN FOR ISLAMIST GROUP HAMAS IN GAZA, SAMI ABU ZUHRI, STANDING ABU ZUHRI'S HANDS CLASPED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS SPOKESMAN FOR ISLAMIST GROUP HAMAS IN GAZA, SAMI ABU ZUHRI, SAYING: "The collapse of the Israeli government coalition is new evidence of the victory achieved by the Palestinian resistance and a further indica
- Embargoed: 18th December 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Gaza
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABD8QJ5WWIFGP4GV9LH8E3WU6J
- Story Text: Islamist group Hamas has described the unravelling of Israel's government as a Palestinian victory.
The Israeli parliament is due to hold a preliminary vote on Wednesday (December 3) on dissolving itself, after right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (December 2) fired two centrist cabinet members and declared an early election.
Netanyahu's government, which only took office last year, has been unravelling over an array of issues, including the 2015 budget and a Jewish nation-state bill that critics say discriminates against Arab citizens.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri spoke to Reuters from Gaza.
"The collapse of the Israeli government coalition is new evidence of the victory achieved by the Palestinian resistance and a further indication that Netanyahu is still paying the price of his defeat in Gaza," he said.
A 50-day war that began in July between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of more than 2,100 Palestinians, many of them civilians, as well as 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians on the Israeli side. No clear winner emerged in the following ceasefire, but Hamas declared it a victory.
Israeli legislators agreed on Wednesday to set March 17 as the date for a new parliamentary election, Israel Radio said.
The report said the date was agreed in a meeting of the heads of parliamentary factions.
Two television polls on Tuesday said Netanyahu's Likud party would emerge once again as the largest group in parliament if elections were held today, almost certainly ensuring him a fourth term as prime minister.
The next national ballot had not been scheduled until 2017, but Netanyahu announced that he wanted to dissolve parliament "as soon as possible" and hold an early election.
He also ordered the dismissals of Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, the heads of two separate centrist parties who have been chaffing against the right-wingers that predominate in the cabinet. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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