GAZA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers stationed on the borders between eastern Gaza City and Israel shot dead four members of the pro-Fatah movement Helles clan, as they were trying to flee Gaza into Israel on Saturday.

    Palestinian sources said that Abu Maher, member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, who was trying to flee Gaza with a group of his relatives, was also shot and moderately wounded in his legs.

    The sources said that Hamas security forces, which stormed early on Saturday morning Sheja'eya neighborhood, where Helles clan lives, managed to reach the houses of Abu Maher and other members of the clan.

    The sources added that around 20 members of the clan, who were trying to escape from Hamas, were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire near Nahal Oz crossing point on the borders between Gaza and Israel.

    There are contacts held between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in Ramallah and Israel to let the wounded members of Helles clan, including Abu Maher, to cross into Israel for medical treatment.

    During more than eight hours of fighting between Hamas security forces and members of the Helles clan, Hamas forces broke into the neighborhood and chased members of the clan who tries to escape to Israel.

    Palestinian medical sources in Gaza City said that four Palestinians, including three Hamas policemen and a little boy were killed and around 80 others injured in the clash.

    Khaled Radi, spokesman of the Hamas-ruled health ministry confirmed that four were killed and 80 wounded, 12 of whom were children, and six adults among them are still in critical conditions.

    Hamas-ruled interior ministry announced in a statement that its campaign to arrest "criminals involved in bombing attacks against innocent people is finished after it achieved a great success."

    "We managed to impose our full control on the neighborhood and the security operation against the violators of law has achieved a great success," said an interior ministry statement.

    It said that explosives, arms and a factory that manufactures homemade weapons were discovered in the neighborhood, adding that the explosives found there are similar to the ones used in former bombing attacks against Hamas.

    On July 25, five Hamas militants and a little girl were killed in a bombing attack on a car near Gaza City beach. Hamas accused rival Fatah movement of being behind the attack and cracked down on the movement and its charities.