With a ceasefire now in effect, internal scores are being settled in Gaza. On Sunday, local reports said that 52 members of the powerful Dagmoush clan were killed in violent clashes with Hamas security forces. Twelve members of Hamas’ military wing were also reportedly killed during a raid in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City.
Among the dead were blogger Salah al-Jaafari, who had posted celebratory footage on the first day of the war, and Naim Bassem Naim, the son of senior Hamas official Bassem Naim.
The death toll — which has not been officially confirmed by Gaza’s Interior Ministry — marks one of the deadliest instances of internal violence in the Gaza Strip in recent years. According to the reports, Hamas gunmen used ambulances to enter the neighborhood, where the heavily armed clan resides. The Dagmoush family has previously been accused of cooperating with Israel.
A woman from the clan told local media: “We are under siege. I don’t know how they got in with all kinds of weapons. Where were they when the Jews were here? They arrested all the young men, lined them up against the walls, and aimed guns at their heads. There’s a massacre here. They’re dragging people away, children are screaming and dying, our houses are being burned. What did we do wrong?”
A senior Dagmoush figure told ynet: “We still say — Muslim blood must not be shed by Muslims.” He said the family is trying to organize self-defense efforts and warned they would fight to the last drop of blood if the raids continue.
The death of al-Jaafari was confirmed by Hamas’ official television channel, which reported that he was shot and killed by “armed gangs operating outside the law” while covering the clashes in Sabra. After posting jubilant videos during the first day of the war, al-Jaafari was later filmed weeping in a hospital over the intensity of Israel’s response.
Naim, the son of senior Hamas figure Bassem Naim, was shot in the head during the Hamas raid and later died of his wounds at a Gaza hospital.
The Dagmoush clan, long considered one of the most powerful families in the Strip, has had previous confrontations with Hamas. Gaza-based sources warned that the current escalation could destabilize the fragile internal situation just as a cease-fire and reconstruction efforts begin. They also said the violence could trigger retaliatory attacks from other clans and increase tensions between Hamas’ political leadership and various armed factions in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ Interior and National Security Ministry announced the launch of a pardon initiative for militia members and criminals not involved in bloodshed. The surrender window will remain open until next Sunday, the statement said, warning that those who fail to turn themselves in will face severe punishment.