After Israel’s war halted, who is clashing with Hamas in Gaza?

Israeli aerial strikes connected Gaza whitethorn person halted, and a captive speech betwixt Israel and Hamas is ongoing, but tucked down the headlines, tensions are brewing successful Gaza betwixt Hamas and equipped groups.

On Sunday, clashes erupted betwixt an equipped clan and Hamas information forces, sidesplitting astatine slightest 27 people, including 8 members of Hamas, according to the Ministry of Interior successful Gaza.

Caught successful the crossfire was 28-year-old Palestinian writer Saleh Aljafarawi, who was covering clashes successful Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood betwixt what information sources told Al Jazeera Arabic was an “armed militia” and Hamas.

Is that the lone militia successful Gaza? Who are these equipped gangs? What are their goals? And are they truly affiliated with Israel?

Here’s each you request to know:

Who fought Hamas connected Sunday?

Media reports and sources said the clan that was warring Hamas successful Gaza City is the Doghmush clan.

The ample household has members successful assorted factions crossed the governmental spectrum successful Gaza.

Momtaz Doghmush was progressive successful the radical Jaish al-Islam’s seizure of Israeli worker Gilad Shalit successful 2008. Other clan members person been successful Hamas oregon groups affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.

Some reports claimed the Doghmush who fought Hamas connected Sunday were affiliated with Israel, but different sources from Gaza contradict the affiliation with Israel.

What happened?

The Sahem unit, an equipped portion affiliated with the Interior Ministry, said the clashes started connected Saturday erstwhile “an outlaw pack killed absorption fighters from the Qassam Brigades”, the equipped helping of Hamas, adjacent the Jordan Field Hospital successful Gaza City.

Witnesses told the BBC that 300 Hamas fighters stormed a residential artifact wherever Doghmush gunmen were holed up, and a Palestinian information root told the Reuters quality bureau that Hamas launched a run successful Gaza City that killed 32 members of “a gang”.

According to the Interior Ministry, eight Hamas members and 19 clan members were killed. Aljafarawi was besides killed.

There was an outpouring of grief implicit Aljafarawi’s sidesplitting successful the midst of which a video of him greeting his person and workfellow Anas al-Sharif circulated connected societal media.

Al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera correspondent, was killed by Israel connected August 10. Aljafarawi, similar al-Sharif, was reportedly threatened aggregate times by the Israelis implicit his reporting.

Are the Doghmush truly backed by Israel?

That’s inactive unclear.

There is conflicting information. Some reports from wrong Gaza said the clan has an Israeli affiliation, but the group’s leaders person denied that.

In aboriginal October, Nizar Doghmush, caput of the clan successful Gaza City, told the Los Angeles Times helium had been contacted by the Israeli subject to negociate a alleged humanitarian portion successful Gaza City.

He told the paper helium refused and added that the Israeli subject past bombed his neighbourhood successful Gaza City, invaded and systematically destroyed houses.

The Doghmush and Hamas person an animosity towards each other, which successful the past has devolved into equipped clashes.

But Israel does person a past of backing and supporting groups successful an effort to foment interior tensions.

Israel does enactment militias successful Gaza, right?

Yes.

Israel is wide recognised to beryllium down the Popular Forces, a militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab of Gaza’s Tarabin Bedouin tribe.

The Tarabin, however, person denounced Abu Shabab.

While Israel claimed Hamas was stealing assistance from the radical of Gaza, it was revealed that the Popular Forces was the 1 looting aid to resell to Gaza’s starving people. Hamas reportedly clashed with the Popular Forces connected a fewer occasions since September 2024, accusing them of being Israeli collaborators.

Israel has besides reportedly backed a radical calling itself the Strike Force Against Terror, led by Hussam al-Astal, a subordinate of the al-Majida clan. Al-Astal’s radical besides clashed with Hamas successful aboriginal October earlier the ceasefire was announced, according to Israeli media.

Al-Astal is simply a erstwhile serviceman successful the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) information forces but was accused by the PA and Hamas of collaborating with Israel successful the 1990s. Israeli media reports said al-Astal was a subordinate of Abu Shabab’s militia and continues to coordinate with the Popular Forces leader.

He reportedly controls a colony called Qizan an-Najjar successful the Khan Younis governorate successful confederate Gaza.

The ongoing enactment of these groups against Hamas and against civilians has contributed to a consciousness of unrest, arsenic respective radical successful Gaza person told Al Jazeera.

Saleh Aljafarawi, a writer who came to prominence done his videos covering the genocide successful Gaza, was killed during clashes connected October 12, 2025, according to media reports.[Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

What happens now?

The warring has stopped, but further clashes could inactive erupt successful a nine devastated by 2 years of Israel’s genocidal war.

The information void could pb to confrontations betwixt groups looking to summation power oregon territory.

For its part, Hamas has denied deploying fighters to the streets.

Meanwhile, Palestinians are returning to what is near of their homes successful bluish Gaza, and desperately needed humanitarian assistance has started to participate the Gaza Strip.

Israel has killed astatine slightest 67,806 radical successful Gaza since the warfare began successful October 2023.