At least 13 Palestinians have been injured in the Gaza Strip after fighting broke out between Hamas and allies of its rival, Fatah.

Hamas men surrounded a house used by a local clan allegedly linked to a bombing one week ago that killed five Hamas members and a young girl.

The Hilles clan backs the Fatah faction of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Dozens of people have been arrested in Gaza and the West Bank in the past week in apparent tit-for-tat operations.

Hamas and Fatah have targeted rival supporters, with Hamas arresting more than 200 Fatah members.

The operation was the most sweeping since Hamas seized power in Gaza from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in 2007.

Suspicion

The Hilles clan has denied accusations it was involved in the bombing of Hamas operatives on 26 July.

However, Hamas fighters surrounded the family home in Gaza City on Saturday morning, using grenades and mortars in an effort to storm the house, reports said.

A Hamas spokesman, Islam Shahwan, said the Hilles clan was hiding the bombing suspects in its compound.

The family denied the allegation.

More than a dozen people were later reported to have been injured in the fighting, with 15 arrested.

Reuters news agency quoted Mr Shahwan as saying one Hamas officer died in the battle.

"Our police forces have managed to control some of the houses in the town and a number of those who were involved in the fighting were arrested," he added.

Clearly the state of politics in the PA is more complex than most of us understand.

This doesn't surprise me, though.

People squabble for power when governments are ineffective.

Too, that America bears some responsibility in that