Deadly Clashes Erupt Between Hamas Forces and Dughmush Clan in Gaza City
At least 27 people were killed in violent internal clashes in Gaza City over the weekend, as Hamas security forces launched a large-scale operation against armed members of the Dughmush family, one of the enclave’s most powerful clans.
The fighting, which began Saturday in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, marks one of the most intense internal confrontations in Gaza since the drawdown of major Israeli military operations in recent months.
Masked Hamas fighters were seen engaging in sustained gun battles with clan members near the site of the Jordanian Hospital, according to eyewitnesses. Families fled the area as streets echoed with automatic gunfire and explosions.
“This time, people weren’t fleeing Israeli attacks—they were running from their own people,” said one resident who fled with his family.
Death Toll Rises Amid Fierce Street Battles
The Hamas-run interior ministry confirmed the deaths of eight of its personnel, calling the confrontation “an armed assault by a militia.”
Medical sources in Gaza said 19 Dughmush family members were killed in the clashes, bringing the total death toll to at least 27.
Witnesses described the initial escalation as Hamas security units—reportedly more than 300 strong—stormed a residential compound where Dughmush gunmen had entrenched themselves. The compound, formerly used as a hospital, had become a temporary shelter for the clan after their original homes in al-Sabra were destroyed in an Israeli strike.
The Dughmush family accused Hamas of attempting to forcibly evict them from the building to repurpose it as a base for security operations—an allegation Hamas has not publicly addressed.
Hamas Justifies Action as ‘Restoring Order’
In a statement, the Hamas interior ministry defended the operation, stating its forces were acting to “restore public order” and would take firm action against “any armed activity outside the framework of the resistance.”
The ministry claimed Dughmush fighters had killed two Hamas personnel and wounded five others in an earlier exchange, which prompted the escalation.
The Dughmush clan, known for its historic tensions with Hamas, has clashed with the group on multiple occasions. It maintains its own armed wing and is one of Gaza’s most heavily armed families.
Thousands of Hamas Forces Return to Reassert Control
The violence comes amid reports that Hamas has recalled around 7,000 security personnel to re-establish authority in areas vacated by Israeli forces.
Local sources said Hamas has deployed operatives across several neighborhoods—some in civilian clothes, others in police uniforms—in an apparent effort to tighten its grip on post-conflict Gaza.
While the Hamas media office denied deploying “fighters in the streets,” eyewitness accounts suggest a visible increase in armed personnel moving through residential areas.
Growing Concern Over Stability in Gaza
The clashes have sparked concern among Gaza’s war-weary population, many of whom have already endured multiple displacements due to the Israeli offensive.
Human rights observers and aid workers warn that internal divisions and power struggles risk destabilizing recovery efforts and humanitarian aid distribution in the enclave.
With the broader conflict still unresolved and reconstruction barely underway, local analysts fear the internal unrest signals deeper fractures in Gaza’s political and social fabric.
