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A minimum of 27 lives have been lost in violent exchanges between Hamas fighters and fighters of the Dughmush clan in Gaza City, marking among the deadliest internal confrontations since the cessation of major Israeli operations in the territory.

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

Official Statement

A top authority in the Hamas-controlled interior ministry stated that security forces blockaded them and entered fierce battles to apprehend them. The authority reported that 8 its members were lost in "a militant attack by a paramilitary force".

Hospital representatives confirmed that 19 Dughmush family fighters and eight Hamas militants had been lost their lives since violence erupted on Saturday.

Local Accounts

Observers reported that the clashes erupted in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood in south Gaza City after a Hamas contingent of over 300 militants advanced to attack a housing complex where Dughmush gunmen were entrenched.

Residents described chaotic situations as many residents escaped their dwellings under intense shooting, with many of them having been displaced multiple times during the hostilities.

"On this occasion civilians weren't running from Israeli offensives," a local inhabitant stated. "They were fleeing from members of their community."

Existing Strain

The Dughmush family, one of Gaza's most prominent clans, has historically maintained a strained relationship with the ruling movement, and its fighter elements have engaged in violence with the organization on several occasions in the previous years.

The interior ministry under Hamas administration declared its units were attempting to reestablish control, cautioning that "all militant actions beyond the structure of the national struggle" would be handled strictly.

Contradictory Narratives

Both sides traded accusations over who was responsible for triggering the clashes.

The organization previously stated that Dughmush gunmen fatally wounded two of its fighters and wounded five more personnel, resulting in the organization to launch an operation against them.

Conversely, a Dughmush clan insider informed Palestinian outlets that Hamas units had approached a facility that formerly operated as the Jordanian healthcare facility, where the clan had found sanctuary after their residences in the al-Sabra district were devastated in the recent Israeli attack.

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

Wider Context

Hamas has mobilized about 7,000 members of its security forces to reassert control over areas of Gaza formerly abandoned by Israeli forces, according to local sources.

Reports suggest that armed Hamas units have been stationed across multiple areas, with particular units in non-uniform clothing and additional elements in the blue attire of the Gaza law enforcement. The Hamas media office denied that it was deploying "fighters in the streets".