Gaza militant shootings kill five

There have been several recent clashes between rival security forces

Five Palestinians have been killed in two outbreaks of violence in Gaza.

A car carrying a Hamas militant and members of his family was fired on in the southern town of Khan Younis.

Two people were killed in the attack, which Hamas has blamed on members of the security forces regarded as being close to the rival Fatah movement.

In a separate incident in Gaza City, three more people were killed. It is not yet clear what sparked the violence or who exactly was involved.

But the shooting broke out near a tent where mourning ceremonies were being held for a security force officer killed a few days ago.

The officer's comrades had blamed his death on the Hamas movement.

One of those killed in Khan Younis was a pregnant woman, related to local Hamas leader Mohammad al-Ghalbana.

He and his brother were wounded and were taken to hospital, Reuters news agency reports.

Hamas blames the shooting on an arm of the police force known as "Preventive Security", seen as close to Fatah.

Preventive Security and Hamas gunmen have often clashed in recent weeks.

Tension has been high between the rival groups since Hamas surprisingly replaced Fatah as the largest group in the Palestinian parliament after elections in January.