A minimum of 27 lives have been lost in fierce clashes between Hamas armed units and militants of the Dughmush clan in the Gaza urban area, marking among the deadliest internal confrontations since the conclusion of extensive Israeli campaigns in the territory.
Disguised Hamas militants exchanged fire with family militants near the city's medical facility, according to observers.
Authority Report
A senior official in the Hamas-run interior ministry stated that security forces blockaded them and participated in intense combat to detain them. The department reported that 8 its members were lost in "a militant attack by a armed group".
Healthcare officials confirmed that 19 Dughmush tribe militants and eight Hamas militants had been lost their lives since fighting began on recently.
Local Reports
Eyewitnesses reported that the clashes erupted in the Tel al-Hawa district in south Gaza City after a Hamas unit of over 300 militants proceeded to assault a residential block where Dughmush fighters were dug in.
Residents described chaotic situations as dozens of families escaped their dwellings under sustained firearm exchanges, with a significant number having been forced to move frequently during the conflict.
"On this occasion people weren't fleeing Israeli offensives," an eyewitness stated. "They were fleeing from members of their community."
Historical Strain
The Dughmush clan, a significant Gaza family, has long had a conflictual dynamic with Hamas, and its militant members have confronted the movement on numerous times in the earlier periods.
The interior ministry under Hamas administration said its forces were attempting to reestablish control, warning that "all militant actions beyond the structure of the resistance" would be handled strictly.
Conflicting Versions
Both sides exchanged blame over which party was accountable for triggering the clashes.
Hamas earlier said that Dughmush militants fatally wounded two its militants and hurt five additional members, prompting the organization to launch an operation against them.
Conversely, a Dughmush clan insider stated to regional press that Hamas units had arrived at a building that previously functioned as the Jordanian Hospital, where the clan had taken refuge after their dwellings in the al-Sabra neighbourhood were devastated in the latest Israeli offensive.
The representative claimed that the movement sought to evict the tribe from the building to establish a new base for its personnel there.
Broader Situation
Hamas has reactivated around 7,000 fighters of its armed forces to reinforce authority over areas of Gaza formerly abandoned by Israeli troops, according to area informants.
Accounts reveal that Hamas combat groups have been stationed across multiple areas, with particular units in non-uniform clothing and others in the blue gear of the Gaza police. The Hamas communication department denied that it was deploying "fighters in the streets".
