'I pray and I fast, but having Hamas in power is not in our interest'

On the sidelines of the jubilant victory parades of Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a significant minority of Palestinians are reacting to the militant group's rise to power with deep worry.

'I pray and I fast, but having Hamas in power is not in our interest. People should have thought more before they chose Hamas,' said Mohammed Alahwe, a 21-year-old university student, as youngsters nearby began marching with the movement's green banner.

It is inscribed with the words: 'There is no God but God and Mohammed is the messenger of God.'

Mr Alahwe is convinced Hamas' espousal of armed struggle against Israel can only bring more misery to the Palestinians.

'If we had weapons like the Israelis do, fine, but the fact is we don't. I think there will be more violence and the Israelis will destroy all the places that provide services,' he said.

The last five years have shown that armed attacks against Israel only backfire on the Palestinians, he added.

'We lost a lot from the intifada [uprising],' he said. 'The Israelis built the fence, taking more of our land, our cities were destroyed, our economy was devastated, people are out of work.'