Security and scenes on the streets

(16 Dec 2006) Gaza City, Gaza strip 1. Wide street scene 2. Various of security 3. Various street scenes and security 4. End shot of cars driving past Ramallah, West Bank 5. Wide of security in street 6. Mid shot of two armed security guards 7. Man looking at news papers 8. Pan up of newspapers in rack 9. People walking in street 10. Security vehicle driving past 11. Wide street scene STORYLINE: Palestinian security forces on Saturday returned to the streets of Gaza City and Ramallah, a day after street battles between Hamas and Fatah-allied gunmen saw civilians running for cover. The fighting followed an incident on Thursday night at the Gaza-Egypt border terminal when gunmen shot at Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's convoy. Hamas has accused a key ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of trying to assassinate the prime minister. Despite the deepening factional violence, the situation appeared calm on Saturday morning with residents going about their normal business. Some residents could be seen reading news of the events in the morning's newspapers. Leaders of both groups warned in recent days that the spiralling violence threatened to bring the Palestinians to civil war. The fighting damped celebrations on Friday marking the 19th anniversary of Hamas' founding. Friday's fighting in the normally peaceful city of Ramallah began when Hamas supporters tried to march towards the centre of town, where Fatah-allied police had deployed to prevent a planned Hamas celebration. In a scene witnessed by Associated Press photographers, police formed a cordon around a Hamas mosque to prevent those inside from marching, then beat the activists with clubs and fired rifles in the air when they tried to leave. The marchers fought back, hurling stones and bottles at police, who fired into the crowd, sending Hamas supporters and bystanders scrambling for cover. Thirty-two people were wounded by stones and gunfire, hospital officials said. In Gaza City, masked Hamas gunmen battled with Fatah-allied police near a security post in the middle of the city. The four-minute shootout also sent civilians running for cover. The showdown, a block from the home of Mohammed Dahlan, broke out shortly after Hamas accused the Fatah strongman of masterminding the attack on Haniyeh on Thursday at the Rafah border crossing. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...