Gaza City Violence Between Hamas and Family Members Result in 27 Dead.
No fewer than 27 lives have been claimed in violent exchanges between Hamas fighters and fighters of the Dughmush clan in Gaza City, marking a particularly severe intra-Palestinian conflicts since the cessation of major Israeli operations in the enclave.
Concealed Hamas fighters engaged in shooting with clan fighters near the city's medical facility, according to observers.
Ministry Account
A high-ranking officer in the Hamas-run interior ministry stated that security units surrounded them and engaged in heavy fighting to detain them. The ministry reported that eight of its personnel were fatally wounded in "a violent offensive by a militia".
Hospital representatives confirmed that nineteen Dughmush family fighters and 8 Hamas fighters had been fatally injured since violence erupted on recently.
Eyewitness Accounts
Observers reported that the clashes commenced in the Tel al-Hawa area in southern Gaza City after a Hamas force of 300+ combatants proceeded to assault a housing complex where Dughmush militants were fortified.
Civilians described chaotic situations as dozens of families escaped their dwellings under sustained firearm exchanges, with many of them having been forced to move frequently during the war.
"On this occasion residents weren't escaping Israeli assaults," one resident stated. "They were running from members of their community."
Existing Strain
The Dughmush family, one of Gaza's most prominent clans, has historically maintained a conflictual dynamic with the governing authority, and its fighter elements have clashed with the group on several occasions in the previous years.
The interior ministry under Hamas administration said its personnel were attempting to reestablish control, cautioning that "every paramilitary operation beyond the structure of the national struggle" would be addressed decisively.
Opposing Accounts
The two parties traded accusations over who was responsible for instigating the violence.
The organization previously stated that Dughmush militants fatally wounded 2 its militants and hurt five others, resulting in the organization to initiate an action against them.
In contrast, a Dughmush family representative told local media that Hamas units had approached a building that once served as the Jordanian Hospital, where the clan had sought shelter after their homes in the al-Sabra district were demolished in the latest Israeli offensive.
The source asserted that the authority attempted to remove the family from the building to establish a new base for its forces there.
Broader Context
Hamas has mobilized around 7,000 fighters of its armed forces to reinforce authority over Gaza regions previously evacuated by Israeli troops, according to local sources.
Information indicates that armed Hamas units have already deployed across several districts, with certain members in plain attire and additional elements in the blue gear of the Gaza security forces. The Hamas communication department disputed that it was deploying "fighters in the streets".
