Hamas chief hails Islamic Bloc victory in Birzeit student council

The head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, has hailed the victory of the Hamas-affiliated Islamic Wafa bloc in the Birzeit University’s student union election saying it represents an “extension” of the movement’s balanced presence at various levels and areas.

Speaking over the phone to participants in the celebrations organised by the bloc yesterday, Haniyeh said the victory carries three important messages including that Hamas is “unbreakable” in the West Bank and in all the homeland, and is capable of confronting the “occupier, oppression and terrorism”.

“The second message is that the bloc has proven its ability to adapt to changes, overcome complexities, and fill the void created by arrests, martyrdom, or deportation,” Haniyeh said, adding that the third message is that “participation in the elections stemmed from national competition, and on the basis of adhering to partnership with all forces and factions.”

He reiterated the movement’s adherence to holding the general presidential and legislative elections as well as those for the PLO National Council and student union elections in all universities in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, the Wafa bloc won 25 seats out of the 51 in the Student Union Council in the Birzeit student union elections. Last week, the Islamic bloc won a majority of 40 seats at An-Najah National University in Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, while Fatah’s Shabiba bloc won 38 seats.

A Hamas linked student bloc also won the majority of seats at Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron in March.

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