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Man dies in Palestinian gunfight Two die as Gaza factions clash
(about 1 hour later)
A Palestinian man has been killed and at least 20 injured in clashes between rival political factions in the Gaza Strip, officials and witnesses say. Two Palestinians have been killed and at least 30 people injured in gunfights between rival political factions in the Gaza Strip, medics and officials say.
Clashes broke out as police close to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas protested against unpaid salaries. Clashes broke out as militiamen loyal to the ruling party Hamas tried to break up protests by police against unpaid wages.
The ruling party Hamas had deployed its militiamen on the streets after signalling it planned a clampdown. The Hamas fighters exchanged fire with security forces loyal to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas is locked in a power struggle with Mr Abbas' Fatah movement, amid attempts to form a unity government. Hamas is locked in a power struggle with Mr Abbas' Fatah movement.
In Gaza City, clashes took place near the parliament building as Hamas fighters exchanged fire with members of security forces considered loyal to Fatah. In Gaza City, Hamas fighters with guns and clubs moved into a crowd of hundreds of civilian and police protesters gathered near the Palestinian parliament.
The Hamas forces began shooting in the air before a gunfight broke out between them and security forces considered loyal to Mr Abbas, the Associated Press reported.
Gunmen from both sides took positions on rooftops near the building.
Aid freeze
Earlier, violence broke out in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, as Hamas militiamen clashed with gunmen in a district seen as a Fatah stronghold.Earlier, violence broke out in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, as Hamas militiamen clashed with gunmen in a district seen as a Fatah stronghold.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says tension has been mounting for a some time. Schoolchildren and a television cameraman were among those wounded in the day's violence, medics said.
The government has been unable to pay salaries for the last six months because the EU and US have frozen aid since the militant group Hamas came to power in elections earlier this year. Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said the presence of the militia on the streets was necessary to restore order to the Gaza Strip.
Our correspondent say the scenes of violence make current attempts to bring Hamas and Fatah together in a unity government seem a tall order. "We call our people in order to stop all kinds of clashes and the executive force is put only for imposing order and system, not to be in friction with the citizens or the other security forces," he said.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says tension in Gaza has been mounting for some time, with government workers going unpaid for six months.
The Hamas-led government has been crippled by a freeze in tax and aid payments from Israel, the EU and US because of its refusal to renounce violence or recognise the right of Israel to exist.
Attempts to bring Hamas and Fatah together in a unity government were aimed at breaking the deadlock by producing a compromise acceptable to donors.
But our correspondent says Sunday's scenes of violence make forging a deal look like a tall order.