JERUSALEM, Dec. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The head of Israel's military intelligence said Sunday that it was increasingly likely that in the coming year the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) would split into two independent entities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

   Major General Aharon Zeevi made the remarks in the cabinet while speaking to the ministers, local newspaper Haaretz reported on its online edition.

   Zeevi told the ministers that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) would take political and military control over the Gaza Strip, which he dubbed "Hamastan," while in the West Bank the ruling Fatah party would form a separate "Fatahstan."

   Yuval Diskin, head of the Shin Bet (National Security Service), also warned the cabinet of a possible disintegration of the PNA.

   "There is no central government in the (Palestinian) territories. Everyone does what he wants," he said.

   Hamas said Friday that it won a great victory in the fourth and last round of municipal elections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the strongest sign yet of its growing political appeal ahead of Jan. 25 parliament elections.

   Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zahri told the press that out of a total of 15 Nablus seats, his movement captured 13, while winning 9 seats in each of the West Bank cities of Jenin and Bira, adding most of the Ramallah seats now belonged to Hamas.

   In major West Bank and Gaza owns, thousands of Hamas supporters marched through streets after Friday prayers to celebrate the group's election victory.

   The fourth and last round of the Palestinian municipal elections started on Thursday, which is considered crucial to any Palestinian political factions since some of the biggest West Bank cities, such as Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin, were included.

   In the past rounds of municipal voting over the past year, the ruling Fatah party received 35 percent of council seats, compared to 23 percent for Hamas. Enditem