No fewer than 27 lives have been lost in fierce confrontations between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush tribe in the Gaza urban area, marking among the deadliest internal clashes since the conclusion of major Israeli operations in the region.
Masked Hamas militants traded gunfire with family militants near the city's medical facility, according to witnesses.
Official Statement
A senior official in the Hamas-run interior ministry stated that security forces blockaded them and entered fierce battles to detain them. The ministry reported that 8 its members were killed in "a militant attack by a militia".
Medical sources confirmed that 19 Dughmush family fighters and 8 Hamas militants had been fatally injured since conflict started on Saturday.
On-the-Ground Testimonies
Observers reported that the clashes commenced in the Tel al-Hawa district in southern Gaza City after a Hamas unit of more than 300 fighters proceeded to assault a apartment building where Dughmush gunmen were fortified.
Civilians described scenes of panic as dozens of families escaped their dwellings under intense shooting, with a significant number having been forced to move frequently during the hostilities.
"On this occasion people weren't fleeing Israeli attacks," one resident stated. "They were running from members of their community."
Long-Standing Tensions
The Dughmush family, among Gaza's notable families, has consistently experienced a conflictual dynamic with the ruling movement, and its fighter elements have engaged in violence with the movement on several occasions in the earlier periods.
The Hamas-run interior ministry declared its units were working to reinstate stability, alerting that "any armed activity beyond the structure of the national struggle" would be dealt with firmly.
Conflicting Versions
Both sides exchanged blame over who was responsible for triggering the clashes.
The organization previously stated that Dughmush fighters eliminated two its fighters and hurt five others, prompting the movement to launch an operation against them.
However, a source from the Dughmush family told local media that Hamas fighters had arrived at a structure that formerly operated as the Jordanian healthcare facility, where the clan had taken refuge after their dwellings in the al-Sabra neighbourhood were demolished in the previous Israeli assault.
The source asserted that the movement attempted to remove the clan from the building to set up a fresh headquarters for its units there.
Wider Situation
Hamas has mobilized about 7,000 members of its security units to reassert control over Gaza regions recently vacated by Israeli military, according to local sources.
Information indicates that armed Hamas units have already deployed across multiple areas, with some wearing civilian clothes and additional elements in the blue gear of the Gaza law enforcement. The Hamas communication department disputed that it was stationing combatants in urban zones.
