Rallies held in Gaza against election postponement

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinians on Friday staged rallies across Gaza to protest the postponement of the parliamentary elections.

The rallies converged to the streets from various mosques after Friday prayers upon the call of the Hamas group.

The protesters raised banners in support of Palestinians in Jerusalem.

Addressing a rally in northern Gaza, Moshir al-Masri, a Hamas leader, slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's decision to delay the polls.

"What the Jerusalemites achieved of victory must be a direction for the politicians of the Palestinian Authority to impose the electoral national agenda on the [Israeli] Zionist enemy," al-Masri said.

Meanwhile, Suleiman Abu Sitta, a nominee on Hamas's electoral list, said during a rally in Rafah, southern Gaza, that the "masses today are angry at the decision of the Palestinian Authority."

"Delaying the polls is a political sin," he added.

On Friday, Abbas announced postponement of elections until the Israeli authorities permit holding the elections in Jerusalem.

The parliamentary polls were expected to be held on May 22, presidential polls on July 31 and Palestinian national council polls on August 31.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara