Dozens killed in Gaza clashes ahead of planned release of hostages
Protesters in Gaza target Hamas
For the first time since Hamas took power 18 years ago, Gaza residents are speaking out against Hamas at the risk of their lives, reports Mike Tobin of Fox News.
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Dozens of people were killed in Gaza during heavy fighting on Sunday and hours after the expected release of hostages in the war-torn region, according to local reports.
The clashes between local militias also came ahead of a televised speech in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the impending release of the hostages the “start of a new path.”
The Israeli president warned: “The campaign is not over. Very big security challenges still await us.”
Residents said the shooting caused families to flee in panic.
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Hamas attacked Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood, targeting the Doghmush clan over alleged Israeli cooperation, killing dozens amid ceasefire tensions. (Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“This time, people were not fleeing Israeli attacks. They were fleeing their own people,” a witness told the news agency. BBC.
According to Israeli media reports Ynet, Violence erupted when Hamas militants attacked the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, home to a clan called Doghmush, also known as the Al Doghmush family militia.
The report said Hamas’ Interior Ministry accused a militia of attacking its forces, while members of the Doghmush clan said Hamas had exploited the ceasefire to target them for alleged cooperation with Israel.
“The children are screaming and dying, they are burning our houses,” a person close to the clan told Ynet.
“We are stuck. 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 people, lined them up against the walls, pointed guns at their heads. There is a massacre here,” said another member.
In all, Ynet reported that 52 members of the Doghmush clan were killed and 12 Hamas militants were killed.
AS TRUMP GAZA AGREEMENT APPROACHES, FAMILY WARNS ISRAEL NOT TO RELEASE ANOTHER SINWAR
Terrorists in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, celebrate the ceasefire on January 19, 2025. (TPS-IL)
Hamas TV said that among those killed was blogger Salah al-Ja’farawi, who allegedly celebrated the October 7 attacks online. The terrorist channel claimed that the blogger was shot dead by “armed gangs operating outside the law” while covering the clashes.
The son of senior Hamas official Basem Naim was also killed, according to the Jerusalem Post.
A senior member of the clan told Ynet: “We always say: you must not shed Muslim blood by a Muslim. »
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At least 64 people are believed to have died in the fighting in Gaza. (Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hamas’s Ministry of Interior and National Security later announced a “clemency framework” allowing militia members and criminals not involved in the bloodshed to surrender by next Sunday, warning that those who failed to comply would be “severely punished.”
Amid the bloodshed, three anti-Hamas militias publicly declared their support for President Trump’s peace proposal, rejecting Hamas’ authority in the Gaza Strip.
Israel said Hamas should release 20 live hostages to the Red Cross by 5 a.m. Monday (noon in Gaza).
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The hostages are to be transported in six to eight vehicles under the supervision of the Red Cross and handed over to Israeli forces inside Gaza. They will then be taken to southern Israel to reunite with their loved ones.
Fox News Digital has contacted the Israeli government for comment.
