Hamas militiamen withdrew from Gaza's streets Monday to prevent a new round of violence after the worst day of internal Palestinian fighting under the Hamas government. But sporadic gunbattles persisted in Palestinian areas between members of Hamas and the rival Fatah party. In protest against attacks by militant supporters of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah, Hamas also closed all of its government ministries in the Palestinian territories. In the northern West Bank town of Nablus, Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Shaer said Fatah militants shot at his bodyguards as they rode in a government car, injuring two of them. Shaer was not present during the attack. Hospital officials said a Fatah militant was also injured in the fighting.
At Gaza City's main hospital, a 20-minute gunbattle erupted when the family of one of those killed Sunday arrived to retrieve his body. The Fatah gunmen accompanying the family opened fire on the Hamas militiamen patrolling the hospital, sending patients and doctors running for cover. No one was injured, hospital officials said.