Gunfight erupts between Hamas and Fatah

A gun battle erupted tonight between the new Hamas security force and rival Fatah forces in Gaza City, police said.

Two police officers were wounded, they said.

The gunshots could be heard all over Gaza City.

The Palestinian police, who are mostly Fatah loyalists, were instructed by radio to respond with force to any attacks by Hamas forces.

The gun battle erupted in front of the Palestinian parliament building. The condition of the wounded was not immediately known.

The violence followed a day of face-offs between the two sides.

The Hamas-led government fielded its new security force in defiance of a ban by moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also the leader of Fatah.