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Relatives of a Hamas Executive Force member grieve his death in clashes with the Khiles clan in Gaza on Thursday. (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 23:27 20/10/2007 Gaza woman, 51, killed in Rafah clashes between Hamas, Jihad By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press A 51-year old woman was killed Saturday during clashes between Hamas security members and militants from the small Islamic Jihad group in the southern Gaza Strip, medics and Hamas said. It was not clear how Hayam Sakr was caught in the cross fire. Eight other people were injured in the clashes that erupted the town of Rafah. The break down of injuries was not immediately available. Hamas and Islamic Jihad had different stories of why the fighting started. Ihab al-Ghusain, a Hamas security spokesman, said the clashes erupted following a brawl between Islamic Jihad members and a Hamas supporter. Advertisement Islamic Jihad officials said the fighting began after Hamas members stopped one of their members in his car, and refused to let him go. Mutual kidnapping followed and clashes spread around the town. The tension in the south came as Hamas security were engaged in clashes with a large Fatah-affiliated clan in Gaza City. Two people were killed, including a 13-year old, and twenty were injured in those clashes. Saturday's deaths brought to seven the number of people killed in Gaza infighting, since the standoff started over a police demand that the Hilles clan hand over a government-issue car. Hamas said it was determined to impose order and was setting an example. However, members of the clan warned that Hamas is making new enemies by taking on large families in tribal Gaza. The fighting turned the clan's Shijaiyeh neighborhood in Gaza City into a ghost town. Gray smoke could be seen rising from the district and gunfire was heard across town. Hamas snipers took over rooftops, while clan members blocked roads with rocks and mounds of sand. Both sides also fired mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades. Electricity was cut in parts of the neighborhood and phone lines were down. Twelve people were wounded, two seriously, medical officials said. The fighting was a sign of ongoing internal tensions following Hamas' takeover in June. Hamas' control was never in doubt in recent months, but Hamas has appeared to be increasingly jumpy about what it said is a Fatah attempt, allegedly directed from the West Bank, to try to destabilize Gaza with bombings. Earlier this month, three Fatah activists and a bystander were killed when a blast went off in a car in Gaza City, possibly because of mishandled explosives. Several small bombs have gone off near Hamas installations or policemen, causing some injuries. The Hamas-Hilles clashes began Wednesday when Hamas security forces demanded that a member of the clan hand over a government-issued car. The clan refused and a gun battle erupted, killing three Hilles men and a Hamas police officer. A second Hamas policeman was critically wounded and remains on a respirator. On Saturday, clan member Mohammed Hilles, 22, was killed when a grenade went off prematurely. Later, 13-year-old Mohammed Susi was killed by a gunshot to the head. Largely affiliated with Fatah, the Hilles clan also includes members from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who side with the family during any fighting. Abu Osama Hilles, a businessman and Fatah supporter, said Hamas is ignoring the tribal culture of Gaza. "They know our culture. They are not Americans coming to rule Gaza," he said. "They should respect big families... so they don't turn into their enemies." However, Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, said there would be no exceptions. "Every family should respond to the new administration. That is the will of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza ... to be governed by Hamas, he said in an interview. We are going to make an end for this chaos," Zahar said. The Interior Ministry, which controls the Hamas security forces, demanded that the clan hand over those involved in the fighting. The ministry said clan members hit a school with a grenade, injuring three students and a teacher. The security forces have no choice but to make an example of those breaking the law, a ministry statement said. The best-known clan member is Ahmed Hilles, one of just a few senior Fatah leaders to remain in Gaza after the Hamas takeover. He had been critical of Hamas' nemesis, Fatah's former Gaza strongman, Mohammed Dahlan, and in the past tried to mediate between Hamas and Fatah. However, Hilles was clearly angry earlier this week when the villa of a relative was torched by Hamas police. Touring the burned-out building and a scorched car in the compound, Hilles accused Hamas of trying to break his clan. Related articles: Four killed in Hamas, Fatah clashes in Gaza Two Hamas security men die in clash with powerful Gaza clan Gaza officials: Palestinians bomb two Hamas buildings in Gaza City Today on Haaretz.com Report: Israeli mole took pictures of Syrian nuclear facility Sarkozy to tell Olmert: Now is the time for peace with Palestinians Bookmark to del.icio.us An unhealthy obsession 12 years after Rabin's death, the public discourse is mostly concerned with his killer. Angel in hell For two weeks last winter, German immigrant Raphael Angel lived a nightmare.   1.   Iditots !!! 13:36  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/10/07   2.   ARAB baby killers at it again.Useful idiots ignore it again 14:02  |  PETER S.M. 20/10/07   3.   I hava a Dream 14:10  |  Boruch 20/10/07   4.   Palestinian culture, in Sweden we go to museums etc 14:22  |  Johnny 20/10/07   5.   where is the green and clean lakshmi? 14:42  |  Lynn 20/10/07   6.   to Swiss,: Hamas is in full control of Gaza. Well, sort of. 14:43  |  akiva (zionist) 20/10/07   7.   Relax, there can never be any separate Arab political entity 15:36  |  Uzi 20/10/07   8.   # 6 akiva (zionist) 15:38  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/10/07   9.   # 5 Lynn 15:41  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/10/07   10.   Ujnpossible! 15:49  |  Richard S 20/10/07   11.   Had the 16 year old been killed by Israelis 16:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/10/07   12.   # 7 Swiss 16:48  |  Lynn 20/10/07   13.   Pals can`t govern !! 17:08  |  HonestAbe 20/10/07   14.   13 year old shot in the head (only 2nd try) 17:30  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/10/07   15.   No anti Israel posters so no postings? 18:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/10/07   16.   I don`t care about the Palestinians 18:20  |  Michael 20/10/07   17.   #8 Swiss, second attempt 18:41  |  Lynn 20/10/07   18.   clashes between Hamas, Fatah-linked Gaza clan 18:48  |  michael 20/10/07   19.   pals kill a child 18:58  |  KUTW 20/10/07   20.   Mortar shell fired at pals and electricity cut off 19:03  |  KUTW 20/10/07   21.   Collective punishment by the security forces 19:06  |  KUTW 20/10/07   22.   1. Swiss (Dino): "Iditots !!!" 19:08  |  KUTW 20/10/07   23.   Damn those Israelis who have brought so much suffering ... 19:50  |  Dutch 20/10/07   24.   Non-story? 19:54  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/10/07   25.   #14 Kim, Israelis elected terrorists too... 20:00  |  Dutch 20/10/07   26.   Israel`s Fingerprints are all over these violent clashes. 20:05  |  dutch 20/10/07   27.   clashes between Hamas, Fatah 20:06  |  BRAVEMAN 20/10/07   28.   Icons and attitudes 20:44  |  peter 20/10/07   29.   # 14 KUTW 20:52  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/10/07   30.   My condolences 21:01  |  GUH 20/10/07   31.   KUTW 21:02  |  GUH 20/10/07   32.   16. Dutch: the pals are the aggressors 21:06  |  KUTW 20/10/07   33.   Dutch, Dutch, and Double Dutch 21:07  |  utagawa 20/10/07   34.   16.Dutch : besides, 21:09  |  KUTW 20/10/07   35.   21. Swiss (Dino) 21:33  |  KUTW 20/10/07   36.   (Dino)@#21. democracy is more than a vote 21:55  |  akiva (zionist) 20/10/07   37.   #16 So called peacenik Margie.Needs no proof on this one??? 22:00  |  Labhras 20/10/07   38.   # 22 KUTW 22:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/10/07   39.   No Pal Govt` its all a mask 22:20  |  Avi 20/10/07   40.   DUTCH`S FINGERPRINTS...... 22:27  |  Brant 20/10/07   41.   Gaza is so green...............and clean..............of humanism 22:30  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/10/07   42.   Dutch, your blindness is quite sad 22:34  |  Richard S 20/10/07   43.   Dutch #15 22:57  |  Dakkar 20/10/07   44.   Dutch #18 23:08  |  Michael 20/10/07   45.   16. Dutch: the pals are the aggressors (2nd try) 23:23  |  KUTW 20/10/07   46.   Brant, I am afraid its your value system that`s upside down 00:00  |  Dutch 21/10/07   47.   A lady, killed 00:02  |  KUTW 21/10/07   48.   Sense and Sensibility 00:16  |  Nadira 21/10/07   49.   Peace partner? 00:41  |  Nemesis 21/10/07   50.   (Dino)@#21. democracy is more than a vote 01:13  |  akiva (zionist) 21/10/07   51.   Dutch,greetings! on another thread there is a shooting by idf of 01:19  |  lakshmi 21/10/07   52.   Silvienne, what option do the Pals have? 01:31  |  dovale 21/10/07   53.   It is a totaly normal way of doing buisness 02:02  |  TOMY 21/10/07   54.   Islamic jihad v.s Hamas 02:04  |  Lisen 21/10/07   55.   #1 Swiss (Dino),This kind of staf will never go 02:07  |  TOMY 21/10/07   56.   Designer drugs and dutch 02:57  |  Adrian de KLerk 21/10/07   57.   re #10 `Pals can`t govern,` etc, etc 02:59  |  Colin Wright 21/10/07   58.   Dutch,#27 03:08  |  jutith 21/10/07   59.   And you want to give these people a State? 03:14  |  Jack 21/10/07   60.   DUTCH: MY REPLY 03:24  |  Brant 21/10/07   61.   good keep it up 03:24  |  vik 21/10/07   62.   29nadira 03:35  |  malone 21/10/07   63.   29Nadira,Dutch,friends and those zionists who want to get past 03:57  |  lakshmi 21/10/07   64.   Dutch 242 04:12  |  Oddvark 21/10/07   65.   Dutch is pro-zionist 04:14  |  Oddvark 21/10/07   66.   Dutch the anti-Semite 05:15  |  Ella 21/10/07   67.   Good, more deadly clashes like these means less Muslim martyrs 05:15  |  Genuine Tosefta 21/10/07   68.   Dutch (#18) is Right Blame the Skunks they smell offal 06:26  |  Gil 21/10/07   69.   Lakshami tell the trought you don`t really live in India do you? 08:15  |  Gil 21/10/07   70.   #37 Irish rubernecker is quite the pedant 08:45  |  peter 21/10/07   71.   DUTCH change the record (#21) 09:29  |  Gil 21/10/07   72.   Dutch, blames Israel as usual 10:17  |  JG 21/10/07   73.   69Gil what if I am Lakshmi Mittal! 13:12  |  lakshmi 21/10/07   74.   Gil, Re: Palestinian violence 16:47  |  Dutch 21/10/07   75.   Lakshmi 20:19  |  Gil 21/10/07   76.   Lakshmi Mittal invests in Israel unlike you investing in hatred 02:09  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/10/07   77.   Laksmi and other mohamedans and symphatizers 04:22  |  cristo 23/10/07

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