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At least 27 individuals have been lost in intense clashes between Hamas fighters and fighters of the Dughmush tribe in Gaza City, marking a particularly severe internal confrontations since the conclusion of large-scale Israeli military actions in the enclave.

Disguised Hamas fighters exchanged fire with tribal combatants near the city's healthcare center, according to witnesses.

Authority Statement

A senior official in the Hamas-controlled interior ministry stated that security units surrounded them and participated in intense combat to capture them. The department reported that eight its fighters were fatally wounded in "a militant attack by a armed group".

Medical sources confirmed that 19 Dughmush tribe militants and eight Hamas militants had been lost their lives since conflict started on the weekend.

On-the-Ground Accounts

Local residents reported that the confrontations erupted in the Tel al-Hawa district in the southern part of Gaza City after a Hamas unit of 300+ combatants moved to storm a residential block where Dughmush militants were dug in.

Civilians described frightening moments as many residents fled their homes under heavy gunfire, with many of them having been relocated repeatedly during the war.

"In this instance people weren't fleeing Israeli offensives," a local inhabitant stated. "They were fleeing from members of their community."

Historical Tensions

The Dughmush family, among Gaza's notable families, has historically maintained a conflictual dynamic with Hamas, and its fighter elements have confronted the movement on several occasions in the past.

The Hamas-controlled interior ministry declared its units were seeking to restore order, cautioning that "every paramilitary operation beyond the structure of the national struggle" would be dealt with firmly.

Opposing Narratives

The two parties leveled charges over who was responsible for starting the conflict.

The movement previously stated that Dughmush militants killed 2 its militants and wounded five additional members, leading to the organization to launch an operation against them.

Conversely, a source from the Dughmush family stated to regional press that Hamas forces had approached a building that formerly operated as the Jordanian medical center, where the clan had taken refuge after their homes in the al-Sabra area were demolished in the previous Israeli assault.

The source claimed that the movement tried to expel the clan from the structure to establish a new base for its units there.

Broader Context

Hamas has recalled around 7,000 fighters of its security units to reassert control over Gaza regions formerly abandoned by Israeli military, according to area informants.

Information indicates that Hamas militant squads have been positioned across multiple areas, with certain members in plain attire and the remainder in the blue uniforms of the Gaza security forces. The Hamas communication department rejected that it was deploying "fighters in the streets".