Palestinian gunmen left Bethlehem city hall today shortly after storming the building overlooking the Church of the Nativity in a jarring interruption to Christmas preparations.
Witnesses said the 20 militants from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of President Mahmoud Abba's Fatah faction, ended an hour-long standoff with police after Bethlehem 's governor promised to address their demands for jobs and pay.
The incident, five days before Christmas, was another sign of growing lawlessness in the Palestinian territories and turmoil within long-dominant Fatah ahead of a January parliamentary election.
Gunmen fired several shots in the air when they took over the building but no casualties were reported. They took up positions throughout the building and on the rooftop before negotiating their departure.
The episode revived memories of a five-week standoff between the Israeli army and a band of gunmen who took over the Nativity church in 2002.