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2 Killed In Battle Between Hamas, Clan

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By STEVEN ERLANGER, New York Times

Published: October 21, 2007

JERUSALEM - Two more Palestinians died Saturday, including a 13-year-old boy, and more than 20 were hurt in continued fighting between Hamas police and a Gaza clan aligned with the Fatah movement.

The fighting, at root political, began Tuesday and has erupted intermittently.

By Saturday, at least nine Palestinians had died, including two members of the Hamas Executive Force, and 14 Hamas members were wounded, along with 12 members of the Hillis clan. Ahmed Hillis, a clan member, is a Fatah leader in Gaza.

Muhammad Hillis, 20, was killed Saturday, and Mohammed Susi, 13, was shot in the head in the crossfire and his father wounded when clan members fired on a Hamas car.

The clan has refused to turn over to Hamas security forces up to five members who were involved in fighting Wednesday in which three Palestinians were killed, despite committing to do so. Four people died Thursday.

The clan lives on the edge of Gaza City near the border with Israel, so it is difficult for Hamas forces to surround the Hillises.

On Tuesday, Hillis men opened fire on traffic officers, wounding three bystanders. The traffic police had stopped their car and asked to see their papers.

Hamas has tried to end internal violence, impose order and control the powerful clans since it seized control of Gaza in June, routing Fatah forces there.

In the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Palestinian gunmen fought in Tulkarm, wounding an 8-year-old girl. In Nablus, Israeli forces arrested five Palestinian militants: a local commander of the Hamas military wing and four gunmen loyal to Fatah.

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