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A minimum of 27 lives have been killed in violent exchanges between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush clan in the Gaza urban area, marking among the deadliest internal confrontations since the cessation of extensive Israeli campaigns in the territory.

Concealed Hamas fighters exchanged fire with family militants near the city's Jordanian hospital, according to witnesses.

Ministry Report

A top authority in the interior ministry under Hamas stated that security units blockaded them and participated in intense combat to detain them. The authority reported that eight its fighters were killed in "an armed assault by a armed group".

Healthcare officials confirmed that 19 Dughmush family fighters and eight Hamas militants had been lost their lives since fighting began on the weekend.

Eyewitness Accounts

Local residents reported that the violence broke out in the Tel al-Hawa district in south Gaza City after a Hamas unit of more than 300 fighters proceeded to assault a apartment building where Dughmush militants were dug in.

Residents described chaotic situations as dozens of families escaped their dwellings under intense shooting, with a significant number having been forced to move frequently during the war.

"In this instance residents weren't escaping Israeli attacks," an eyewitness stated. "They were running from their own people."

Historical Tensions

The Dughmush clan, one of Gaza's most prominent clans, has consistently experienced a tense relationship with the governing authority, and its fighter elements have engaged in violence with the group on several occasions in the past.

The Hamas-controlled interior ministry stated its units were seeking to restore order, alerting that "all militant actions beyond the structure of the national struggle" would be dealt with firmly.

Contradictory Accounts

Each faction exchanged blame over who initiated the violence for starting the conflict.

The movement earlier said that Dughmush fighters fatally wounded two of its fighters and hurt five additional members, prompting the movement to initiate an action against them.

However, a source from the Dughmush family informed Palestinian outlets that Hamas forces had approached a structure that previously functioned as the Jordanian Hospital, where the clan had sought shelter after their residences in the al-Sabra district were demolished in the previous Israeli assault.

The representative alleged that Hamas attempted to remove the tribe from the structure to set up a fresh headquarters for its units there.

Broader Context

Hamas has reactivated around 7,000 fighters of its armed forces to reinforce authority over Gaza regions formerly abandoned by Israeli forces, according to local sources.

Accounts reveal that Hamas militant squads have been stationed across several districts, with some wearing civilian clothes and additional elements in the blue attire of the Gaza police. The Hamas media office rejected that it was stationing combatants in urban zones.