Israel Evacuates Fatah Fighters From Gaza

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel, amid appeals by the Palestinian Authority, has evacuated nearly 200 Fatah fighters from the Gaza Strip.
Officials said Israeli troops rescued more than 180 Fatah fighters amid
an assault by the Hamas regime in Gaza City. They said Hamas targeted the
Hilles clan, some of whose members were accused of detonating bombs that
killed three Hamas officers on July 25.
"We received an appeal from Abu Mazen [PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas] and
[PA Prime Minister] Salam Fayyad to rescue the Hilles clan," an official
said.
Officials said Israeli troops were deployed to evacuate Hilles clan
members from the Erez and Nahal Oz border crossings. They said the Hamas
Army fired mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and light weapons fire toward
the Israeli troops. There were no reports of injuries.