Several people were killed over the weekend as violent clashes erupted between Hamas security forces and members of the powerful Doghmush clan, multiple sources confirmed on Monday.
The deadly confrontations began last week, shortly after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, and intensified on Sunday evening in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Witnesses told AFP that about 200 Hamas security personnel were deployed to the area during the fighting. “They fought until they completely subdued the clan members,” one resident said, noting that both sides suffered casualties.
A source within Hamas’s Interior Ministry confirmed that fatalities occurred among both the security forces and the Doghmush family. The ministry accused the clan of criminal activity and of having ties to Israeli forces — allegations the family has denied.
The Doghmush clan, in a statement, acknowledged that “some of its members had committed transgressions” but condemned what it described as indiscriminate attacks by Hamas operatives. “In recent days, it was enough to belong to the Doghmush family to be shot, arrested, or have your home burned,” said clan leader Abu al-Hassan Doghmush on Facebook.
The weekend violence marks another chapter in the long-running tension between Hamas and Gaza’s powerful clans. Since seizing control of the Strip in 2007, Hamas has repeatedly clashed with local families, including the Doghmush, over issues of authority and crime.
On Sunday, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry announced a “general amnesty period” for “members of criminal gangs” not implicated in killings during the war.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Friday, AFP reporters have observed Hamas forces heavily deployed across Gaza City — manning roads, markets, and key urban areas in a bid to maintain order.
