As Hamas falters in Gaza, rival gangs fight for control

A Saudi media outlet reports that Hamas has lost security control in Gaza, and factions are looting aid, stealing, and attacking residents.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

As IDF operations continue to weaken Hamas in the Gaza Strip, rival gangs are reasserting themselves to gain control.

Al-Hadath, a Saudi news publication, has reported that Hamas has lost security control in Gaza, and factions are looting aid, stealing, and attacking residents.

The IDF reports that these groups behave like militias, are armed, steal from rivals and regular citizens, and defend themselves against Hamas.

Many of the gangs have existed for a long time and have been involved in smuggling electronics, drugs, and weapons from Egypt and Israel.

Hamas has made deals with many of these factions and even invited them to participate in the looting and massacre on October 7th.

However, Hamas is increasingly losing control over these gangs, who resisted Hamas’s reassertion of power in Gaza during the winter truce.

As the terror group tried to regain control of the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire, rival clans resisted with knee shootings, torture, and murder.

The Abu Shabab clan, led by Yasser Abu Shabab of the Tarabin family, is one of the most notorious of the clans and regularly seizes humanitarian aid convoys and loots them. This gang originated in Rafah and now operates in both the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip.

Another major player is the Dughmush clan, also known as Dajmash, from Tel al-Hawa and al-Sabra in Gaza City. This clan was involved in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in 2006 and is regularly involved in violent clashes with Hamas.

Hamas killed the head of the Dughmush gang over suspicions of collaborating with Israel.

Israel security experts say that the gangs are motivated by financial gain and power rather than ideology.

One security official said, “There is no vacuum in Gaza. If Hamas terrorists are not present, clan members will try to impose their own order. In the event of a ceasefire, Hamas will have to confront this perennial problem. If not, the clans will only grow stronger. They are not waiting for anyone.”