BEIRUT - A gunbattle took place between supporters of Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Hezbollah forces in Beirut on Sunday.

A 30-year old woman was shot dead outside her home and two others injured, one a Lebanese soldier, during the fire fight.

Lebanese soldiers closed off the Muslim neighborhood where the gunfight took place.

It was the first outbreak of violence since Hariri's June 7 election.

The fighting erupted between Sunni supporters of Hariri and Shi'ite supporters of parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

Hariri has been trying to bridge the gap between the factions by bringing Hezbollah into the government.

Meanwhile, at Sunday's Cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that if Hariri succeeds in bringing Hezbollah into the government, Lebanon would be responsible for whatever the group does.

"Íf Hezbollah joins the Lebanese government, then the Lebanese government is accepting responsibility for Hezbollah's actions, which includes its actions against Israel," the prime minister told Cabinet members.

Last Thursday, Rariri discussed a potential national unity government with Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the spiritual head and general secretary of Hezbollah.

Source: The Jerusalem Post