Palestinian policemen stormed into Gaza's parliament building today to demand a crackdown on militants, and deputies urged President Mahmoud Abbas to sack the cabinet for failing to stamp out armed chaos in Gaza.
The two challenges highlighted Mr Abbas's uphill struggle to impose law and order in Gaza to make it the proving ground of a future Palestinian state after Israel's withdrawal of settlers and soldiers was completed last month.
"We are on the verge of civil war if the situation remains out of control," said Qaddoura Fares, a reformist legislator with Mr Abbas's mainstream Fatah movement.
Palestinian police oficer
Legislators largely endorsed a parliamentary committee's report demanding Mr Abbas form a new government within two weeks or face a no-confidence vote, shortly after policemen disrupted the session in fury over the killing of a commander by Hamas gunmen.
The protesters said security services were badly outgunned by militant groups like Hamas and that the Palestinian Authority seemed to lack the will to impose order. Mr Abbas, citing a risk of civil war, says he wants to co-opt, not try to crush, militants.
"We want the Palestinian Authority to take a stand on Hamas. Hamas has more arms and ammunitions than the police. Our blood is flowing for the Authority and they are not doing anything," one protesting officer said.
There was no shooting in the building but shots were fired outside the compound. One policeman entered the chamber, briefly interrupting the session, before he and his comrades withdrew.
There were no reports of casualties in the incident, which took place while Mr Abbas was in Gaza but not in the building.