Four killed in Hamas, Fatah clashes in Gaza

Fighting between Hamas forces and Fatah supporters flared up in the Gaza Strip yesterday, resulting in four dead and 26 injured.

The fighting took place in the neighborhood of Sajaiye, in the eastern Gaza Strip, between Hamas' Executive Force and the Khiles clan, which supports Fatah.

The head of the Khiles clan, Ahmed Khiles or Abu Maher, is one of the leading opponents of Muhammad Dahlan, the former Fatah strongman in Fatah, and a Hamas ally since it took over Gaza in June.

Soon after Hamas defeated Fatah in Gaza, Abu Maher accused Dahlan of being responsible for the tension between the two groups and in return, Hamas offered the clan immunity and allowed its members to keep their weapons.

However, the alliance seems to have broken down following the arrest of Ahmed Khiles yesterday by members of the Hamas military wing, who later released him.

One of Khiles' sons attacked a Hamas policeman, and this led to a Hamas siege on the clan's complex.

Abu Maher sought to end the standoff through compromise but senior Hamas officials ordered him and his clan to surrender their weapons, which they would not do.

The Executive Force assaulted the clan's complex, firing anti-tank rockets and light weapons. The fighting ended early yesterday morning with two members of the Executive Force dead, and 14 others injured. Two civilians also died, and 12 members of the Khiles clan were injured. Many of the homes in the neighborhood were destroyed in the fighting.