A mentally handicapped Palestinian man has died after being shot by Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip, hospital sources said.

Ibrahim al-Shawas, 36, died on Saturday after being shot in the head near Khan Yunus on Friday, they said. Witnesses said he was approaching a border fence near the town when a shot rang out from the Israeli side.

His death brings the number of people killed since the start of the Palestinian intifada or uprising in September 2000 to 4721, including 3666 Palestinians and 981 Israelis.

Al-Shawas' death comes as Palestinian security forces widened their control in the Gaza Strip on Friday under orders from President Mahmud Abbas to prevent attacks on Israelis in another important move towards reviving peace talks.

Landslide Gaza win for Hamas

Hamas was celebrating last night after sweeping seven of 10 councils in the Gaza Strip's first local elections, seen as a test of strength between the Islamic group and new President Mahmoud Abbas.

The group had boycotted the January 9 presidential election, won by Abbas on a platform of ending violence to allow talks with Israel on Palestinian statehood.

"Hamas victory proves Islam is the solution," blared a slogan from loudspeakers as thousands of supporters celebrated in the streets beneath fluttering green Hamas flags.

Abbas has been trying to win a ceasefire from Hamas and other militants spearheading a four-year-old revolt to allow the resumption of talks with Israel and to avoid chaos in Gaza ahead of an Israeli plan to abandon the occupied territory.

Hamas candidates won 75 of the 118 council seats as compared to 39 for members of Abbas's Fatah movement and their allies, final figures showed. The results also raise the prospect that Hamas will join parliamentary elections in July.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Palestinian man on a horse, participates in a Hamas movement rally in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, Friday Jan. 28, 2005. (AP)