
The southern Gaza city of Khan Younis has experienced one of the fiercest internal confrontations since the start of the war, between a Hamas security force and gunmen from the al-Mujaida clan - one of the largest families in the south.
According to Hamas, its forces raided the neighborhood to detain individuals accused of collaborating with Israel.
However, local accounts describe an armed attack by around 50 men travelling in five pickup trucks, armed with rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), who attacked the al-Mujaida neighbourhood and killed five family members.
Armed relatives quickly retaliated, sparking hours-long clashes with heavy gunfire.
Reports circulating on social media - difficult to independently verify - claim that more than 11 Hamas members were killed, with some of their bodies dragged through the streets.
Videos widely shared online appear to show several bloody bodies in military uniforms, along with a voice claiming they belonged to Hamas' "Sahm Unit."
Local elders later intervened to mediate between the two sides, leading to an exchange of troops aimed at stopping the escalation.
While the exact motives remain unclear, the incident has heightened anxiety among Palestinians.
Many fear that the proliferation of weapons, tensions between powerful families, and Hamas's grip on power could escalate into scenes resembling civil war in a territory already gripped by displacement, destruction, and the fear of further lawlessness.