Hamas Turns Its Guns on Gaza’s Clans

Hamas has begun settling scores in the Gaza Strip. In the wake of the ceasefire and release of Israel’s hostages, the terrorist group is targeting clans and families with whom it has long-standing feuds. The most powerful clans in Gaza had stepped in to fill Hamas’s role as its authority weakened, acting as de facto security forces in areas outside Hamas’s control. But it is clear from the group’s actions that it has no intention of relinquishing its grip on power.

On October 12, Hamas militants raided the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, home to the Doghmush clan. Hamas’s Interior Ministry accused the clan of attacking its forces, while clan members countered that Hamas was exploiting the ceasefire to punish them and monopolize security in the area.

According to local reports, after Israel’s advance into Gaza City, the Doghmush clan relocated near what is known as the Jordanian Hospital in Tel al-Hawa. Following the ceasefire, Hamas demanded that the family vacate the area, but the clan refused. The standoff escalated into violent clashes that left 52 of the clan’s members dead, along with 12 Hamas militants.

Hamas Brooks No Rivals

Hamas’s “Sahem” (Arrow) Unit, a specialized force established by the Interior Ministry to enforce the group’s control through violence and intimidation, has taken a leading role in the campaign against Gaza’s clans. Since the start of the ceasefire, Hamas has carried out several public executions of individuals it accuses of collaborating with Israel. On October 13, a video surfaced showing members of the Sahem Unit executing seven members of the Doghmush clan. A Telegram channel posted that the unit also targeted the Abu Samra family in Deir al-Balah, a clan affiliated with the rival Fatah organization.

The same channel released a statement attributed to a “special source,” warning that, “Any family that does not withdraw its social and tribal cover from members involved in bloodshed, roadblocks, or assaults will be treated as complicit.”

These tensions did not solely emerge from the two-year war with Israel but have existed for decades. Many members of the Doghmush clan are affiliated with Fatah and served in the Palestinian Authority security forces that controlled Gaza until 2007. Since Hamas’s takeover, the clan and the movement have repeatedly clashed, engaging in cycles of violence and kidnappings. 

Gaza Clans Begin Appeasing Hamas

After Hamas’s campaign of violence began, a number of clans issued statements reaffirming their loyalty to the movement while distancing themselves from “outlaws.” The al-Majaida family in Khan Yunis, which clashed with Hamas in early October, released a statement declaring its “full support for the government and its security agencies” and agreed to surrender its weapons to Hamas. The Doghmush clan, meanwhile, has now appealed to its history in the Palestinian resistance and sought to dissociate itself from members involved in opposing Hamas.

The Supreme Council for Palestinian Tribes in Gaza also announced that “all tribes in Gaza stand in solidarity with the security forces to ensure stability and preserve the social fabric.” The council’s president, Husni Maghni, added that the tribes are “fully coordinating with the security forces in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas Remains the Most Capable Force in Gaza

Despite the severe degradation of its military capabilities during the war, Hamas still has more soldiers and weapons than all its rival factions in Gaza combined. Hamas has managed to redeploy approximately 7,000 militants to reassert control over the territory, a move at odds with any intention to give up its arms and control of the coastal strip. The United States should point to Hamas’s latest actions to persuade Arab supporters of the ceasefire that Hamas will not disarm in the absence of continual pressure. Post-war Gaza must be free of Hamas to ensure long-term stability for the many Palestinians who oppose it, as well as for Israel’s safety.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.