At least 27 people have been killed in fierce clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City, in one of the most violent internal confrontations since the end of major Israeli operations in the enclave.
Masked Hamas gunmen exchanged fire with clan fighters near the city's Jordanian hospital, witnesses said.
A senior official in the Hamas-run interior ministry stated that security units surrounded the Dughmush fighters and engaged in heavy fighting to detain them. The ministry reported that eight of its members were killed in what they termed an armed assault by a militia.
Medical sources confirmed that 19 Dughmush clan members and eight Hamas fighters have died since the fighting began on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses revealed that clashes erupted in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood after a Hamas contingent of over 300 fighters attempted to storm a residential area where Dughmush gunmen were fortified.
Residents described scenes of panic and chaos as families fled their homes amidst heavy gunfire, many experiencing displacement once more.
This time people weren't fleeing Israeli attacks, one local resident explained. They were running from their own people.
The Dughmush family is one of Gaza's prominent clans and has maintained a fraught history with Hamas, often clashing with the group.
The Hamas-run interior ministry announced that its forces aimed to re-establish order, warning that any armed activities outside of their resistance framework would be firmly addressed.
Both Hamas and the Dughmush family exchanged accusations regarding the provocations that led to the clashes.
Hamas alleged that Dughmush gunmen were responsible for killing two of its fighters and injuring five others, which prompted the operation against them.
Conversely, a source from the Dughmush family claimed that Hamas forces targeted a building that previously served as the Jordanian Hospital, where family members had sought refuge following the destruction of their homes in recent Israeli assaults.
This source alleged that Hamas was attempting to evict the family to establish a new base for its operations.
Local reports indicate that Hamas has recalled approximately 7,000 of its security personnel to reestablish control over areas of Gaza recently vacated by Israeli troops.
Armed Hamas units have reportedly been deployed across multiple districts, some in civilian clothing, while others wear police uniforms. The Hamas media office has denied claims of deploying 'fighters in the streets.'
