Palestinians Clash Over Elections

Dozens of masked Palestinian gunmen took over election offices in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, exchanging fire with Palestinian police and demanding spaces on a list for Jan. 25 parliamentary elections.

The clashes came as the two main factions of the ruling Fatah Party — the so-called "young" and "old" guards — announced an end to an internal rift that threatened to bolster the electoral prospects of Hamas militants. Young guard members announced that Fatah will submit a single, unified list for the elections.

After intense negotiations, the two sides came together just two hours before a Wednesday afternoon deadline for submitting the list.

"We affirm here that we are going to this election with one list. We are going to elections unified in Fatah to achieve a victory," said senior Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan, a leader of the young guard.

In other developments:

The Israeli military said Wednesday it would begin enforcing a new no-go zone in northern Gaza designed to prevent militants from reaching areas where they launch rockets at Israel. As part of Operation Blue Skies, Air Force planes dropped leaflets in Gaza warning residents against entering the area.

Israel has launched a rare air strike deep into Lebanon, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger. The jets fired missiles at a Palestinian guerilla base near Beirut, hours after an Israeli border town was hit by rocket fire. Israel has demanded that Lebanon abide by a UN resolution and rein in militant groups.

The former head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security service announced Wednesday he was joining the ranks of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's centrist party ahead of a March election. Avi Dichter, who is largely credited for Israel's success in beating down Palestinian militants, said Sharon and his new Kadima party are best suited to lead the country.

After the South Asia tsunami struck last year, Israeli tourist Ron Bombiger went to a Phuket hospital with a serious leg injury, where he was treated by Dorit Nitzan, an Israeli doctor who came to Thailand to help. CBS News correspondent Larry Miller reports a year later doctor and patient returned to the hospital, and Bombiger proposed. Nitzan said yes and they plan to honeymoon in — where else? — Thailand, of course.