PA Police and Hamas Gunmen Clash in Gaza

A group of 20 Palestinian policemen fired their guns before entering the parliament building in Gaza City Monday morning to protest the continued holding of weapons by Hamas militants.

Over the weekend, armed Hamas gunmen fired at police stations after PA security forces tried to enforce a ban on open weapons by non-authorized personnel.

In addition, three Palestinians were killed in Gaza City after a quarrel between the son of deceased Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi and a PA police officer broke out into gunfire. At least 25 people were also wounded in the incident. The two men were standing in line at an ATM machine when the argument began according to PA sources.

The latest violence takes place after Mr. Abbas' Fatah Party won the majority of seats in municipal elections throughout the West Bank, handily defeating Hamas and other opposition groups.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon also agreed on Sunday to hold their first summit meeting since the completion of Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. While no date has been made public, the two sides want to meet before October 20 when Mr. Abbas is scheduled to visit President Bush in Washington. Abbas and Sharon also exchanged holiday greetings for Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan.