Since the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip took effect on October 10, Hamas has begun deploying its armed operatives in public areas to demonstrate its control and presence in the streets of Gaza. As part of this effort, violent clashes have erupted between Hamas forces and several “rogue clans,” which Hamas accuses of collaborating with Israel and looting humanitarian aid entering the Strip. Reports indicate dozens of fatalities in these clashes, as well as public executions of alleged collaborators belonging to these “rogue clans.”
Among the clans with which Hamas is “settling accounts”[1] are:

• The Doghmush clan – from the Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City. A large and powerful clan possessing substantial weaponry. The armed group is led by Mumtaz Doghmush.

• The Helles clan – a large, armed family from the Shuja‘iya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. The armed group is headed by Rami Helles. The clan is mostly affiliated with Fatah.

• The al-Mansi clan – from northern Gaza. The armed group is led by Ashraf al-Mansi.

• The Abu Shabab clan – from the Rafah area. It belongs to the Tarabin tribe. The armed group is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, who commands some 400 armed members.

• The al-Mujaida clan – from the Khan Yunis area. The clan has a long-standing dispute with the Hamas administration.

• The al-Astal clan – a large clan in the Khan Yunis and Rafah areas. The armed group is led by Hussam al-Astal.

At the same time, Hamas’s Ministry of the Interior in Gaza announced the launch of a campaign to impose law and order in the streets and eradicate anarchy. Senior Hamas official Ahmad Yousef, a former adviser to Ismail Haniyeh, stated in an interview on October 13 with Al-Arabiya that some families in Gaza had cooperated with Israel during the war and had recently attempted to assert their power on the streets. Therefore, he said, there is no choice but to fight them by force.

Dr. Alaa al-Din al-Aqluq, head of the Committee for Tribal Reconciliation in Gaza, commented by phone on October 15 in an interview with the Dubai-based Al-Mashhad channel in the wake of the recent clashes between Hamas and several armed clans in the Strip. Al-Aqluq condemned the actions of the armed groups, which, he said, had chosen to reject the Palestinian consensus. Following his comments, clan leaders in Gaza issued a statement denouncing the activities of the clans, declaring that what is needed now in the Palestinian arena is the restoration of law and public order.[2]

Conversely, following the execution of released prisoner Hisham al-Saftawi from central Gaza, his family denounced the act. According to the family, dozens of armed Hamas operatives raided their home, violated the dignity of the women in the household, and shot him dead. The family stated that it would hold Hamas accountable “by every means” and would not open a mourning tent until those involved in his killing were handed over.[3]

Following the violent incidents in the Strip, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s office issued a statement on October 14 condemning the events, describing them as a “crime” and a blatant violation of human rights. These crimes, the statement said, harm Palestinian national interests, delay the reconstruction of the Strip, entrench Hamas’s rule, and thereby obstruct the establishment of a Palestinian state. Fatah also issued a condemnation, stating that Hamas was doing everything possible to consolidate its control over Gaza, causing direct harm to the Palestinian social fabric.[4] Dr. Mahmoud al-Habbash, Abbas’s adviser on religious affairs, likewise condemned Hamas’s actions, writing on his Facebook page: “This is Hamas, committing yet another crime. This is the message it sends: it kills and rules the Palestinian public at will.”[5]

Monitoring of Palestinian public reactions on social and mainstream media in light of the violent clashes in the Strip reveals the following:

• Palestinians are expressing concern, fear, and uncertainty about the future. After two years of war in Gaza, a new war is now beginning—this time between Hamas and the clans. Many fear this conflict could soon escalate, leading to anarchy. Some claim it is an Israeli plot intended to sow instability in the Palestinian arena. Residents interviewed by the BBC on October 15 said, “This time people weren’t fleeing Israeli attacks, they were running from their own people.” Another resident from Gaza condemned Hamas’s executions as contrary to Islam, which forbids the shedding of Muslim blood. “Hamas rules through chaos and the absence of law,” he said. “There is currently no governing authority to which one can turn for help or to file a complaint.”
  
• Some Palestinians believe that such violent incidents only exacerbate Gaza’s suffering instead of alleviating it after two years of war. A Gaza resident interviewed by the Awda TV channel said, “The situation now is dire because of poverty. There is no food and no stability.”
  
• Hamas supporters in the Strip view these actions as a necessary step toward restoring public order. For example, Gaza resident Suzanne Rahmi wrote, “We need them [Hamas]. We want you to stay in Gaza forever. You are our men and our lions. Without you we would be lost. May God protect you.”
  
• Critics, on the other hand, see the events as “settling scores,” as an excessive use of force, and want to see a focus on more pressing issues such as “ending the occupation” and easing the suffering of Gaza’s population instead of engaging in internal power struggles. According to this group, Hamas’s actions harm the Palestinian struggle to achieve its key goals.
  
• Some residents of Gaza posted appeals on X calling to “save them from Hamas’s campaign of revenge.” They claimed that the ceasefire agreement does not apply to Gaza’s clans—Israel has stopped the war, but Hamas continues it.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Md1Domo8CQ

[2]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACIGue1rwNc

[3] https://www.eremnews.com/news/arab-world/lsqbikl

[4] https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-world/2025/10/15/قوى-الامن-الفلسطيني-حماس-تريد-كسر-شوكة-العائلات-في-غزة’; https://www.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/133892

[5]  https://www.facebook.com/dr.mahmoudalhabbash/posts/1361773275311408?ref=embed_post

JISS Policy Papers are published through the generosity of the Greg Rosshandler Family.