Hamas faces violent opposition from several armed gangs in the recovering Gaza Strip, which have sprung up after Israel wiped out the terrorists’ leadership
Withering Hamas is facing fresh “internal” challenges from four deadly clans battling to wrestle control of Gaza.
As the cease-fire kicks in following more than two years of war, the terror group is attempting to reassert its power, with US President Donald Trump threatening to disarm the organisation “violently” and saying he expects the surrendering of weapons very soon amid fresh moves by the group.
Hamas claims around 7,000 of its fighters have been deployed to “cleanse Gaza of outlaws and collaborators”. The gangs are said to include the Popular Force, the Doghmosh, the Al-Majayda and the Hellis. Reportedly, some of the groups are known to be backed by Israel.
READ MORE: Hamas retribution: Death squad carry out public executions in reign of terror
A number of bloody clashes have already broken out across the Gaza Strip, days after the peace deal was struck. One attack reportedly killed Palestinian influencer Saleh al-Jafarawi – known as “Mr FAFO” following his controversial social media videos. Despite Mr Trump’s warning, Hamas maintains that it will remain in power and take down the armed gangs.
The group’s death squads were seen carrying out public executions of enemies within Gaza as they attempt to take back control. In one shocking video, a row of gunmen can be seen aiming their firearms towards a line of eight blindfolded men, who have been forced to kneel on the ground in front of a jeering crowd. Moment later, they were shot dead. Hamas militants accused the men of collaborating with Israel.
It is claimed dozens more people are thought to have been killed since last weekend amid the power struggle. The Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, condemned the executions a as “heinous crimes” and urged a return of legitimate Palestinian leadership to prevent further chaos in Gaza.
While Hamas enjoyed firm control of Gaza prior to the conflict, powerful local families and armed gangs stepped into the void that emerged in the region during Israel’s two-year bombardment. Some have been accused of hijacking humanitarian aid and selling it for profit, contributing to the starvation crisis.
Although Hamas returned the bodies of more dead hostages on Tuesday, fears have grown the fragile Gaza ceasefire could collapse as Israel has declined to open the Rafah border crossing to aid.
Trump told reporters at the White House: “They will disarm — and if they don’t I’m gonna make them disarm. They know what I mean.” The politician warned America stood ready to bring about Hamas’s disarmament “quickly and perhaps violently.”
Mr Trump said the jihadists “misrepresented” how many dead hostages they would be able to deliver, originally stating “they had 26, 24”. Only eight coffins have been retrieved from Gaza so far, including the four released on Tuesday night. But despite the celebrations, it remains unclear whether the peace will hold after two years of fighting that has left more than 70,000 dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The 20-point peace plan demands that Hamas disarm, and turn over the dead hostages — neither pledge has yet been honored. The IDF on Tuesday night said that the Red Cross had collected four more coffins of dead hostages from Gaza. It follows the release of another four bodies last night.
The bodies of 20 hostages, which Hamas promised to release as part of the peace deal, are still unaccounted for. Earlier, Israeli officials said the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed at least through Wednesday, with aid deliveries into Gaza reduced to pressure Hamas to return the remaining bodies.