Dozens Killed in Gaza Clan Clashes Hours Before Hostage Release

By Enemona Samuel Endurance | The Bureau News

Violent fighting broke out in Gaza City on Sunday, leaving dozens dead just hours before the expected release of hostages under the new ceasefire agreement. The clashes, described by witnesses as “a massacre,” erupted between Hamas forces and members of the Doghmush clan in the Sabra neighborhood.

Deadly Internal Violence Erupts Amid Ceasefire Calm

According to multiple reports from local media, including Israeli outlet Ynet, at least 52 members of the Doghmush clan and 12 Hamas militants were killed in the fighting, which witnesses said involved heavy gunfire, arson, and house raids. The outbreak of violence came just hours before a televised address by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the upcoming hostage release as “the beginning of a new path.”

In his address, Netanyahu warned Israelis and Palestinians alike that the campaign was “not over” and that “very great security challenges” remained ahead.

‘People Were Running From Their Own People’ — Witnesses

Residents told the BBC that the fighting was unlike previous bombardments, saying that “this time people weren’t fleeing Israeli attacks — they were running from their own people.” Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as Hamas forces stormed the neighborhood, allegedly targeting the Doghmush militia, also known as the Al Doghmush family.

“Children are screaming and dying; they are burning our houses,” one clan member told Ynet. “We are trapped. I don’t know how they entered with all kinds of weapons. Where were they when the Jews were here? They arrested all the youths, lined them up against walls, and pointed weapons at their heads. There is a massacre here.”

Hamas, Clan Trade Blame

Reports indicate that Hamas’s Interior Ministry accused the clan of attacking its forces, while the Doghmush family said Hamas used the ceasefire as an excuse to retaliate against them over alleged collaboration with Israel. The Doghmush militia has a long and complex history in Gaza, often operating semi-independently of both Hamas and Fatah.

Hamas’s television station reported that Salah al-Ja‘farawi, a blogger known for celebrating the October 7 attacks online, was shot dead by “armed gangs operating outside the law” while covering the clashes. The station also confirmed that the son of senior Hamas official Basem Naim was among the dead.

Appeals for Calm

A senior Doghmush family member told Ynet, “We still say — you must not shed Muslim blood by a Muslim.” The violence has intensified growing fears of internal unrest as the ceasefire agreement begins to take effect, with humanitarian agencies already warning that Gaza’s fragile truce could collapse under internal tensions.

— The Bureau News | Nigeria News Today

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