Hamas and the Clans of Gaza

While Hamas has to worry about its last redoubt in Rafah soon to be pummeled by the unstoppable IDF, it also must be alarmed at the anger of Palestinians in Gaza directed at them, particularly by the powerful extended families — that is, the clans, some with thousands of members — that remain so important in Palestinian society. More on those clans in Gaza, and how Hamas has now angered one of the most powerful, can be found here:

Hamas has a history of executing Palestinians who the terrorists claim are collaborating with Israel. Back in 2014, for example, the Times of Israel reported that Hamas killed over 30 suspected collaborators with Israel. And that was over just a few days. Of course, there is no way to tell whether Hamas actually executes collaborators, or is killing off opposition to its rule in Gaza.

According to Hamas, collaborating with Israel is not limited to spying for the Jewish state and relaying information that helps to target Hamas terrorists.

Helping Gazans can also get you killed by Hamas:

A Hamas-linked website warned Palestinians who assist Israel in providing aid to Gaza that their actions will not be “tolerated”.

Those who did would be treated as collaborators and be handled with an iron fist, the Hamas Al-Majd security website said on Monday, quoting a security official in Palestinian militant forces.

Considering how Hamas has been taking Gazan aid for themselves and in some cases selling it to the people at inflated prices, it is understandable that the terrorists might be piqued….

So let’s get this straight. The IDF wants to help distribute food aid to the Gazans, rather than have Hamas steal so much of it. To this end, some Palestinians have wanted to assist the IDF in safely distributing that aid. And Hamas now threatens them for their “collaboration” with the enemy.

Hamas has executed a “prince” – really the leader —of the Doghmosh clan in Gaza City, sources in Gaza said on Thursday. The killing was a message to those considering cooperating with Israel, which is looking for ways to bypass the terror group in the enclave, according to the sources….

The Doghmosh clan has thousands of members in Gaza; they are well-armed, have engaged in criminal activities, and are not cowed by Hamas. Now that Hamas has executed the most senior member of the clan, it will fight back against Hamas,

The clans, it seems, have decided that though they detest Hamas, they will not cooperate with Israel in its attempt to find an alternative group or groups to run Gaza after Hamas has been crushed. So why did Hamas kill this Doghmosh “prince”? Apparently the terror group is afraid that the clans, now that Hamas has been so weakened by IDF attacks, might try to take complete control of Gaza. To forestall this, Hamas decided to execute a leading member of a major clan, hoping thereby to frighten any clans thinking of challenging its rule.

That execution of the leader of a powerful clan shows how worried Hamas is about the clans throwing their support to the Palestinian Authority and against Hamas itself. Some of those clans have taken charge of maintaining law and order in the Strip, preventing looting of humanitarian aid, for they do not trust Hamas to guard the aid, given that Hamas itself has been the main looter of such aid. One clan — not the Doghmosh — has been escorting trucks carrying humanitarian aid that arrived through both the Egyptian and the Israeli crossings. Hamas regards this as unforgivable interference with its role in handling — and stealing some of — the food aid.

Hamas accuses the clans of stealing the food aid that Hamas wants to steal for itself. The irony is not lost on some clan members.

Both the clans in Gaza and the Bedouin tribes in both Gaza and inside Israel, have now declared war not just on those Hamas individuals who have killed their kinsmen, but on all the members of Hamas. It was madness of the terror group to execute the head of the Doghmosh clan. Did it really think it could intimidate its well-armed and ferocious members? Did Hamas not realize what the Bedouin would do to its members in revenge for the torture and murder of Bedouins found at the kibbutzim on October 7?

Now the clans and the Bedouin will get their revenge on Hamas, whenever they run across a member of the terror group, and will stop their killing only when they decide they have done enough to avenge those murdered by Hamas. That may not be for a long time. The intra-Arab bloodbath to come in Gaza will be a pleasure to watch.