Fatah leader who fled Gaza Strip returns

The head of a Fatah-aligned clan has returned to Gaza nearly four months after fleeing into Israel following a bloody gunbattle with Hamas. Ahmad Hilles was greeted by family Tuesday and taken away in a small sedan. Hilles fled Gaza in early August after his clan was routed by Hamas security forces. He escaped into Israel along with 180 others, mostly members of his heavily armed extended family. The clash left 11 dead and marked the end of one of the last pockets of potential opposition to Hamas rule in the territory. Most of the others have already returned to Gaza with Hamas' permission.