Gunfight erupts at Gaza police HQ

The police chief was in his office when the shooting began

A Palestinian policeman has been killed and up to 11 others wounded in a gun battle at police headquarters in Gaza.

There are two official accounts of the incident. A police statement described it as an assassination attempt against police chief Ghazi al-Jabali.

The statement identified the attackers only as "outlaws" and said Major General Jabali escaped unhurt.

Later other officials said the shooting arose from a dispute with a separate Palestinian security organisation.

Regret

The second statement said that an argument broke out during a meeting between General Jabali and four unnamed officers.

"After that Palestinian police opened fire in all directions and a number of police were wounded," it said.

The BBC's James Rodgers in Gaza says the various branches of the Palestinian security forces have all become weaker during the conflict with Israel, and rivalry occasionally flares up between them.

Samir Mashharawi, director general of the Palestinian interior ministry, also denied that it was an assassination attempt.

"What took place started as an argument and let to an incident we regret. An investigation has been launched," he said.