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Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza experienced some of the most intense internal confrontations since the conflict started, pitting Hamas security personnel against gunmen from the al-Mujaida family - among the biggest families in southern Gaza.

According to Hamas officials, its security personnel carried out an operation in the area to detain people alleged to be working with Israeli authorities.

Conversely, local accounts recounted an armed assault by approximately 50 men using multiple vehicles, equipped with assault rifles and RPG launchers, who stormed the al-Mujaida quarter and eliminated five individuals from the family.

Armed relatives quickly fought back, sparking hours-long gun battles with heavy exchanges of fire.

Accounts shared via online platforms – challenging to confirm – suggest that at least 11 Hamas personnel were fatally wounded, with multiple remains reportedly paraded in the streets.

Recordings broadly distributed on the internet, which remain unverified, purportedly display numerous bloodied casualties in military fatigues, along with a voiceover claiming they pertained to Hamas's "military division".

Separate video captured automatic weapon fire and an RPG striking a housing structure in the district.

Community leaders eventually mediated to mediate among the opposing groups, resulting in an exchange of bodies intended to control the escalation.

Even though the exact motives continue to be ambiguous, the confrontation has increased apprehension among Palestinians.

Numerous residents worry that proliferation of arms, hostilities between influential clans and Hamas's grip on power could develop into circumstances resembling civil war in a region already affected by displacement, damage, and anxiety of further lawlessness.

Analysts suggest that the extent of hostility which Hamas confronts from its various rivals – groups that have been suppressed during its seventeen-year rule – is considered a key factor motivating the movement to decline the ceasefire plan.

Furthermore, there is fear of violent retribution, of being killed in the public spaces, since the proposal mandates Hamas to fully surrender weapons.

Reports suggest that the leader of Hamas's combat unit in Gaza has voiced opposition regarding the proposal, which was presented recently.

The proposal includes a cut-off point for Hamas to accept or face significant repercussions.