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At least 27 lives have been claimed in fierce exchanges between Hamas armed units and armed members of the Dughmush tribe in Gaza City, marking a particularly severe internal confrontations since the end of large-scale Israeli military actions in the region.

Concealed Hamas gunmen exchanged fire with tribal combatants near the city's medical facility, according to observers.

Ministry Statement

A top authority in the Hamas-run interior ministry stated that armed units encircled them and participated in intense combat to apprehend them. The ministry reported that eight of its personnel were killed in "a militant attack by a paramilitary force".

Medical sources confirmed that nineteen Dughmush family fighters and 8 Hamas fighters had been lost their lives since conflict started on Saturday.

On-the-Ground Reports

Observers reported that the clashes commenced in the Tel al-Hawa area in south Gaza City after a Hamas unit of 300+ combatants moved to storm a apartment building where Dughmush militants were entrenched.

Residents described frightening moments as numerous households escaped their dwellings under heavy gunfire, with a significant number having been forced to move frequently during the conflict.

"On this occasion people weren't fleeing Israeli offensives," a local inhabitant stated. "They were running from their fellow Palestinians."

Historical Strain

The Dughmush tribe, one of Gaza's most prominent clans, has long had a conflictual dynamic with the ruling movement, and its fighter elements have clashed with the organization on several occasions in the earlier periods.

The Hamas-controlled interior ministry declared its personnel were attempting to reestablish control, alerting that "any armed activity not within the system of the national struggle" would be dealt with firmly.

Conflicting Versions

The two parties traded accusations over who was responsible for starting the conflict.

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

Conversely, a Dughmush family representative informed Palestinian outlets that Hamas fighters had come to a building that previously functioned as the Jordanian healthcare facility, where the family had taken refuge after their homes in the al-Sabra district were destroyed in the latest Israeli offensive.

The representative asserted that the movement sought to evict the clan from the premises to create a different command center for its personnel there.

Wider Situation

Hamas has recalled around 7,000 fighters of its security units to reassert control over Gaza regions previously evacuated by Israeli military, according to local sources.

Accounts reveal that Hamas militant squads have already deployed across various neighborhoods, with some wearing civilian clothes and the remainder in the blue attire of the Gaza law enforcement. The Hamas communication department disputed that it was positioning militants in public areas.