Who's clashing with Hamas in Gaza after Israel's war paused
What's the story
Tensions have erupted between Hamas and armed groups in Gaza after Israel and the Palestinian group agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal. The clashes began on Saturday when an "outlaw gang killed resistance fighters from the Qassam Brigades," the Sahem unit, an armed unit affiliated with the Interior Ministry, said. The violence left 27 dead, including eight Hamas members and 19 clan members. Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was also killed while covering the unrest in Sabra neighborhood.
Clan involvement
Who are the Doghmush clan?
Al Jazeera, citing sources, and other media reports say that the clashes were between Hamas and the Doghmush clan, a large family with members in various factions across Gaza. Witnesses told BBC that 300 Hamas forces raided a residential block where Doghmush gunmen were holed up, while a Palestinian security source told Reuters that Hamas launched a campaign in Gaza City that killed 32 members of "a gang."
Group
Reports suggest Doghmush are affiliated with Israel
Some reports suggest the Doghmush are affiliated with Israel; however, the group's leaders deny this. Nizar Doghmush, who is described as the head of the clan in Gaza City, refused an Israeli offer to manage a humanitarian zone recently, after which, he alleged, his neighborhood was bombed. While the Doghmush clan has denied any affiliation with Israel, the Jewish nation has, in the past, supported militias in Gaza, including funding the precursor to Hamas in the 1970s and '80s.
Militia backing
Israel's strategy of fostering internal conflict
Israel has backed the Popular Forces, led by Yasser Abu Shabab of Gaza's Tarabin Bedouin tribe. In June, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in defense of arming anti-Hamas clans, saying, "What's wrong with this? It only saves...lives of Israeli soldiers." Israel has also reportedly backed a force known as the Strike Force Against Terror, which is led by Hussam al-Astal, an al-Majida clan member. According to Israeli media, Al-Astal's militia clashed with Hamas in early October, before ceasefire was announced.
Continued unrest
What happens next?
While the fighting has stopped for now, and humanitarian aid has begun to trickle into the Gaza Strip, the grim reminder remains that 67,806 people have died, and about two million have been displaced since 2023. Although Hamas has denied deploying fighters to the streets, media reports indicate that the people are wary of continuing unrest.