Rival Palestinian factions fought gun battles in the Gaza Strip today and at least five Hamas militants were wounded, Hamas officials said.
Factional fighting has worsened since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah called last month for early elections in his power struggle with the governing Hamas faction.
Tensions rose further at the weekend after Abbas declared as illegal Hamas's nearly 6,000-strong "Executive Force."
The Islamist militant group, which took control of the Palestinian government in March after beating Fatah in parliamentary elections, has vowed to defy Abbas's declaration by doubling the size of the "Executive Force."
The latest factional violence was triggered by the abductions overnight of five Hamas gunmen -- four from Hamas's armed wing and one from the "Executive Force."
Fatah militants said the gunmen were seized for questioning because they were suspected of planning attacks. The five were released hours later but their vehicles came under fire as they left the scene. At least two of the Hamas men were wounded.
Hamas said three members of the "Executive Force" were also hurt on Tuesday when Fatah gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade at their vehicle. Fatah denied any role in the shootings, accusing Hamas of stockpiling weapons to fight Palestinian opponents.
"Hamas does not believe in national unity except as a slogan. Hamas's policy is based on excluding others and wiping out others," Abdel-Hakim Awad, a Fatah spokesman in Gaza, told a news conference.
He called for the disbanding of the "Executive Force," which Hamas has vowed to expand to 12,000 members.