The al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, witnessed on Sunday morning the first direct, face-to-face clashes between fighters from Hamas and members of an armed gang operating in the area, marking a new and dangerous escalation in Gaza’s internal security landscape.
Field sources said the clashes involved a group led by Palestinian Rami Halas, which calls itself the “Popular Defense Forces.” The group is reportedly active in areas under Israel’s control and has stepped up attacks against Palestinians over the past 10 days, killing at least two people and wounding several others.
According to the sources, members of the Halas gang advanced toward al-Sanafour junction in al-Tuffah, an area west of the so-called “Yellow Line,” designated as an initial withdrawal line under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
As the gunmen entered residential neighborhoods, they were met with immediate gunfire from Hamas fighters and members of other armed factions. The exchange of fire lasted more than 20 minutes before the gang withdrew toward the Yellow Line, which remains under Israeli control.
The clashes coincided with the presence of Israeli surveillance drones overhead. Sources said that shortly after the fighting subsided, the drones carried out strikes on homes in al-Tuffah and surrounding areas. This was followed by the use of booby-trapped vehicles loaded with tons of explosives, detonated in stages to destroy what remained of houses in those zones.
The sources also revised earlier accounts of a killing on Saturday at the main junction in al-Shuja’iyya, east of Gaza City. A Palestinian initially believed to have been shot by Israeli forces was, in fact, killed by gunmen from the same armed gang, they said. He was at least the second person killed by the group in the area within roughly 10 days.
In recent weeks, the Halas gang has intensified its attacks in eastern Gaza City, allegedly operating under Israeli cover. About two weeks ago, it forced residents of a residential block in al-Tuffah to evacuate their homes.
Armed gangs in Gaza have become more active and increasingly sophisticated, carrying out assassinations — such as the killing of Internal Security officer Ahmed Zamzam —and opening fire on civilians in areas west of the Yellow Line. Sunday’s incident marked the first direct clash between such gangs and established armed factions.
Meanwhile, Hamas has expanded executions and crackdowns against armed gangs and individuals accused of collaborating with Israel since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10. Hamas sources said several alleged collaborators linked to the assassinations of senior leaders, including former Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Deif, have been executed, while others have been arrested and remain under investigation.
Separately, Israeli fire killed three Palestinians in Khan Younis on Sunday, including a 15-year-old boy and a young man, while a fisherman was shot dead off the city’s coast. Since the ceasefire, more than 423 Palestinians have been killed in what are described as Israeli violations across Gaza.
