At least four Palestinians were killed in Gaza yesterday in clashes between Hamas Islamists and a clan loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.
Two Hamas security officers and two members of a clan loyal to the secular Fatah movement were killed in the fighting in Gaza City, the officials said.
Residents said the fighting started when Hamas security forces tried to arrest one of the clan members.
The clash is one of the biggest since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip after routing Mr Abbas's forces in a brief civil war in June.