Gunmen storm city hall in Bethlehem
Reuters, Bethlehem
Palestinian gunmen briefly seized Bethlehem city hall, overlooking the Church of the Nativity, yesterday in a jarring interruption to Christmas preparations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus. The incident, five days before Christmas, was another sign of growing lawlessness in Palestinian territories and the turmoil within Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction ahead of a January parliamentary election. About 20 gunmen from Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fanned out on rooftops and in the offices of city hall, firing several shots in the air and forcing workers out. They demanded money and jobs for about 320 members. Masked gunmen carrying assault rifles appeared beside the glittering star set up on the roof ahead of festivities.
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