Escalating Violence in Gaza City: 27 Lives Lost Amidst Internal Clashes

Fri Dec 05 2025 11:08:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Fierce street battles in Gaza City yield devastation as Hamas forces engage with armed clan members, resulting in at least 27 fatalities, igniting fears of escalating internal strife.

In a stark display of violence, clashes between Hamas security forces and the Dughmush clan in Gaza City have resulted in at least 27 deaths. Eyewitness reports indicate heavy fighting ensued as Hamas attempted to detain Dughmush gunmen, leading to widespread panic among residents. Previous tensions between Hamas and the Dughmush family have erupted into violence, challenging the stability of the already distressed region as humanitarian concerns mount.

At least 27 people have been killed in fierce clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City, in one of the most violent internal confrontations since the end of major Israeli operations in the enclave.

Masked Hamas gunmen exchanged fire with clan fighters near the city's Jordanian hospital, witnesses said.

A senior official in the Hamas-run interior ministry said security units surrounded them and engaged in heavy fighting to detain them. The ministry said eight of its members were killed in 'an armed assault by a militia'.

Medical sources stated that 19 Dughmush clan members and eight Hamas fighters have died since fighting began on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses reported that clashes erupted in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood after a Hamas force of over 300 fighters moved to storm a residential block where Dughmush gunmen were entrenched.

Residents described scenes of panic as dozens of families fled their homes under heavy gunfire, many of whom were displaced multiple times during the war. One resident remarked, 'This time people weren't fleeing Israeli attacks; they were running from their own people.'

The Dughmush family, one of Gaza's prominent clans, has a long-standing tense relationship with Hamas, having clashed with the group before.

The Hamas-run interior ministry emphasized that its forces were trying to restore order and warned that 'any armed activity outside the framework of the resistance' would be dealt with firmly.

Accusations have been traded between both sides regarding the clashes' initiation. Hamas claimed that Dughmush gunmen killed two of its fighters and wounded five others, leading to their operation against them.

A source from the Dughmush family countered that Hamas had come to a building that served as temporary refuge for the family after their homes were destroyed, alleging that Hamas intended to evict them for a new base.

In light of these events, Hamas has reportedly recalled around 7,000 members of its security forces to reassert control over vacated areas of Gaza, leading to the deployment of armed units wearing civilian clothes and police uniforms across various districts.