CINA

They filled the evening with celebratory gunfire; they caused traffic jams as they took to the streets in cars draped with the flags of their parties; they chanted battle hymns. Palestinians had much to celebrate on Wednesday -- they voted for a parliament for the first time in 10 years without any major violent incidents. But a vote that left Palestinians celebrating could soon turn into a headache for Israelis, Americans and Europeans who oppose the rise of the radical extremist Hamas party. Hamas looks set to become one of the two largest parties in the Palestinian parliament.

Ballots are still being counted in the Palestinian Authority, but it appears clear that the radical Islamic Hamas party will have an important future in parliament. Exit polls showed a slight lead for the governing Fatah, but neither party appeared ready to concede to the other on Thursday morning. Nevertheless, given indications that Hamas may be nosing ahead, the entire Palestinian cabinet, led by Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, resigned on Thursday morning.

The apprehension about the results of the election wasn't reserved for the Palestinians alone. Given the apparent electoral success of Hamas -- a group which has yet to back away from its call for the destruction of Israel -- the Israeli cabinet, led by acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, is planning to meet later Thursday.

"Israel can't accept a situation in which Hamas, in its present form as a terror group calling for the destruction of Israel, will be part of the Palestinian Authority without disarming," said Olmert on Thursday. "I won't hold negotiations with a government that does not stick to its most basic obligation of fighting terror."

Others, too, indicated that Hamas must first renounce violence before the international community can work with them. In a comment intended for Hamas, US President George W. Bush said in a Wall Street Journal interview, "Not until you renounce your desire to destroy Israel will we deal with you."

Benita Ferrero-Walder, the European Union Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, echoed these sentiments. "We are in principle ready to work with any government of the Palestinians that would seek peace by peaceful means," she told Reuters.

A long night of self-hypnosis

In the Palestinian Authority, though, just how much power Hamas might end up with was the question of the night on Wednesday night. "God be willing, we will be able to confirm in the coming hours that we have a majority in parliament or that we at least have a stalemate," a spokesman for Hamas announced at 2 a.m. "At the very least, despite our losses, we will still be the largest party in parliament," a high-ranking Fatah politician also declared. And Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah declared his political movement the winner of the election. For political leaders from both sides, it was a long night of self-hypnosis.

But the truth is that nobody knows for certain who won and how many seats each party will get. The first official figures in the election are expected later Thursday. The two main adversaries in the poll -- the governing Fatah and Hamas, which has until now had no role in the government -- nevertheless celebrated what they considered to be victories.

Two exit polls published shortly after polling stations closed on Wednesday showed the governing Fatah with a slight lead over Hamas. But both suggested that a political earthquake had struck the Palestinian territories: Even with Fatah in the lead, Hamas would still, at the very least, become the strongest Palestinian opposition party. Fatah, meanwhile, appears to have lost the absolute majority it enjoyed in the 132-seat parliament.

A euphoric mood pervaded Hamas headquarters early Thursday. The vote represented a massive boost for a party whose militant arm has been condemned as a terrorist organization and international pariah by both the United States and the European Union. The militant wing of Hamas has been responsbile for killing countless Israeli citizens in terrorist attacks.

"Honestly, we hadn't even considered that we might win," one reserved voter said. Volunteers at party headquarters held as many as three cell phones to their ears as they sat at a conference table and punched results from the polling stations inito computers. "Hamas: 147 votes, Fatah, 123 votes." The Islamists aren't content to rely on forecasts and exit polls -- they want to count every single vote, as fast as they can. "It's possible that before this is all over, we're going to lead the Autonomous Authority," said Mahmud Ramahi, an incoming Hamas member of parliament, who is clearly surprised by the result.

Is there a party of national unity?

At the same time, Fatah youth were driving through the Ramallah city center, honking their horns and shooting into the sky. They weren't, it seemed, aware of just how close the results were. "We've won!" they sang. But the truth is, no matter what the final results look like, Fatah has lost influence. And they know it. Which makes their foray through the city more of a publicity stunt -- to delay the inevitability of admitting Fatah's weakened hold on Palestinian power.