Gaza City Clashes Involving Hamas and Family Members Cause 27 Dead.

At least 27 people have been lost in violent clashes between Hamas security forces and militants of the Dughmush clan in the Gaza urban area, marking one of the most violent intra-Palestinian conflicts since the conclusion of large-scale Israeli military actions in the enclave.

Disguised Hamas gunmen engaged in shooting with tribal combatants near the city's healthcare center, according to witnesses.

Official Statement

A top authority in the interior ministry under Hamas stated that armed units encircled them and engaged in heavy fighting to capture them. The department reported that 8 its members were fatally wounded in "an armed assault by a militia".

Healthcare officials confirmed that 19 Dughmush clan members and eight Hamas fighters had been fatally injured since violence erupted on the weekend.

Local Accounts

Eyewitnesses reported that the confrontations broke out in the Tel al-Hawa district in the southern part of Gaza City after a Hamas unit of 300+ combatants advanced to attack a residential block where Dughmush fighters were dug in.

Civilians described scenes of panic as numerous households evacuated their residences under sustained firearm exchanges, with many of them having been forced to move frequently during the war.

"In this instance residents weren't escaping Israeli offensives," a local inhabitant stated. "They were escaping from their own people."

Historical Strain

The Dughmush clan, among Gaza's notable families, has historically maintained a tense relationship with Hamas, and its armed members have engaged in violence with the movement on several occasions in the previous years.

The interior ministry under Hamas administration declared its forces were seeking to restore order, alerting that "any armed activity outside the framework of the national struggle" would be addressed decisively.

Contradictory Versions

The two parties traded accusations over who was responsible for instigating the violence.

Hamas initially reported that Dughmush fighters fatally wounded 2 its militants and wounded five more personnel, leading to the group to initiate an action against them.

Conversely, a source from the Dughmush family told local media that Hamas forces had approached a structure that once served as the Jordanian Hospital, where the clan had taken refuge after their dwellings in the al-Sabra district were demolished in the latest Israeli offensive.

The insider asserted that the authority tried to expel the tribe from the building to set up a fresh headquarters for its forces there.

Larger Background

Hamas has recalled approximately 7,000 personnel of its security units to reinforce authority over areas of Gaza recently vacated by Israeli military, according to local sources.

Information indicates that Hamas combat groups have been stationed across several districts, with certain members in plain attire and the remainder in the blue uniforms of the Gaza law enforcement. The Hamas communication department rejected that it was stationing combatants in urban zones.