A minimum of 27 lives have been killed in violent clashes between Hamas armed units and armed members of the Dughmush family in the Gaza urban area, marking a particularly severe internal clashes since the cessation of extensive Israeli campaigns in the territory.
Disguised Hamas fighters exchanged fire with tribal combatants near the city's medical facility, according to observers.
Official Statement
A senior official in the Hamas-run interior ministry stated that armed units surrounded them and participated in intense combat to capture them. The department reported that eight its personnel were fatally wounded in "a militant attack by a militia".
Medical sources confirmed that 19 Dughmush tribe militants and eight Hamas militants had been lost their lives since fighting began on the weekend.
Local Testimonies
Local residents reported that the confrontations commenced in the Tel al-Hawa area in southern Gaza City after a Hamas contingent of more than 300 fighters advanced to attack a housing complex where Dughmush militants were entrenched.
Residents described scenes of panic as dozens of families escaped their dwellings under heavy gunfire, with a significant number having been forced to move frequently during the hostilities.
"In this instance people weren't fleeing Israeli attacks," one resident stated. "They were escaping from their fellow Palestinians."
Existing Conflict
The Dughmush tribe, one of Gaza's most prominent clans, has consistently experienced a strained relationship with the ruling movement, and its fighter elements have confronted the movement on multiple instances in the earlier periods.
The Hamas-controlled interior ministry declared its personnel were attempting to reestablish control, warning that "all militant actions beyond the structure of the resistance" would be handled strictly.
Conflicting Narratives
The two parties exchanged blame over who initiated the violence for triggering the clashes.
The movement initially reported that Dughmush militants fatally wounded two its fighters and hurt five more personnel, prompting the group to commence a mission against them.
However, a source from the Dughmush family stated to regional press that Hamas units had approached a structure that formerly operated as the Jordanian medical center, where the family had taken refuge after their homes in the al-Sabra district were destroyed in the recent Israeli attack.
The insider asserted that the movement sought to evict the tribe from the structure to create a different command center for its personnel there.
Broader Context
Hamas has reactivated about 7,000 members of its armed forces to reestablish dominance over Gaza regions recently vacated by Israeli military, according to regional insiders.
Accounts reveal that Hamas combat groups have been positioned across multiple areas, with some wearing civilian clothes and the remainder in the blue attire of the Gaza security forces. The Hamas communication department denied that it was positioning militants in public areas.
