Palestinian gunmen disrupted Christmas preparations in Bethlehem on Tuesday, briefly taking over the municipality building across from the Church of Nativity, leading clergy to close the ancient shrine for several hours.

It was a scene that has played itself out in other West Bank and Gaza towns. Gunmen, some linked to the ruling Fatah Party of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, want him to carry out his promise to give them government jobs.

But this was Bethlehem less than a week before Christmas, with thousands of tourists expected to arrive, encouraged by the downturn in violence since last Christmas, largely because of a February truce.

The brief takeover by about two dozen gunmen could lead to concerns over whether Palestinian security forces can keep the biblical town safe for visitors on Christmas, though no shots were fired Tuesday and no one was hurt.

The municipality, a sparkling Mideast-style structure with a stone facade completed several years ago, has balconies looking across Manger Square toward the Church of the Nativity, the massive fourth-century, fortress-like shrine built over the grottos where tradition says Jesus was born.

The gunmen suddenly appeared on the roof of the town hall in the morning. Hundreds of Palestinian police rushed to Manger Square. Onlookers in the square, braving a light drizzle, watched the drama - and the gunmen pointed their weapons toward the crowd.

After about an hour, the gunmen met with the governor of Bethlehem, Salah Taameri, and then walked out of the building.

The proximity to the holy site sent waves of anxiety through church officials, and as a precaution, they closed the ancient shrine for several hours. Security officers posted inside the church were told to leave, and the doors to the building were closed.

The Bethlehem Peace Center, which includes the local tourist office, a gallery and bookstore and is located on one side of the square, between the municipality and the church, also shut down and sent its staff home.

Taameri criticized the gunmen for moving just before Christmas. "They knew the right time when to put their message through," he said, "but they didn't harm anybody."

With the downturn in Israeli-Palestinian violence after five years of conflict, Bethlehem was hoping the number of pilgrims would reach 30,000 this year, or nearly double the turnout in 2004.

Some of the armed men were members of the security forces and others belonged to the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent Fatah offshoot. The Al Aqsa gunmen demanded to be put on the government payroll and the security officers demanded back wages that had not been paid, Taameri said.

Abbas "will take their demands into consideration," he said.

Taameri said he hoped to incident would not harm Christmas tourism in Bethlehem. Christmas decorations adorn Manger Square and roads leading to it, and the tell Christmas tree next to the Church of the Nativity was lit in an official ceremony last week.