Gaza’s Tribal Leaders Endorse Hamas’ Action Against Alleged Zionist-Backed Gangs
The leader of the Higher Commission for Palestinian Tribes, the foremost tribal assembly in Gaza, has asserted that the resistance group Hamas has solely focused its efforts on targeting "gangs" supported by Israel. This statement challenges Western media reports that suggest a campaign against innocent civilians.
In a recent interview, Mukhtar Abu Salman al-Mughni issued a bold challenge, urging individuals to name even one innocent victim who had been targeted.
In response to assertions from Western media alleging that Hamas is executing innocent Palestinians, he emphasized that the security forces in Gaza did not target civilians, clarifying that their focus was solely on pursuing criminal gangs.
Al-Mughni highlighted that the gangs have established armed posts throughout various regions in Gaza, such as Rafah, Khan Younis, Shuja’iyya, and the north. These groups are resisting surrendering to the authorities and have killed several members of the security forces.
Gangs retaliated with deadly force when law enforcement authorities attempted to dismantle their positions, resulting in the loss of police officers’ lives.
An official highlighted that the security initiative implemented by Hamas following the cessation of Israel’s intense military operations in Gaza successfully averted the outbreak of civil unrest.
“The intervention by law enforcement was crucial in preventing citizens from seeking their own retribution, which could have escalated into a civil war. The actions of the security forces averted such a crisis.”
On Tuesday, the Deterrent Force, linked to the security forces within the region, issued a concise statement declaring that its personnel had “captured strongholds of armed militiamen, cleansed terrorists from various neighborhoods, and conducted operations targeting individuals involved in the shooting and killing of displaced persons.”
This development occurred a day after Gaza’s security forces reportedly eliminated a key figure linked to an Israeli-supported group affiliated with the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist organization, which has been implicated in actions contributing to Tel Aviv’s activities in the coastal region.
On Monday, Quds News Network cited an unnamed security source revealing that the individual targeted was identified as “A.T.” The individual was effectively confronted by the strip’s Resistance Security Apparatus through what was described as “a precise security ambush.”
Sources report that an individual known as A.T. has been involved in recruiting militants for the faction led by Yasser Abu Shabab. It is claimed that earlier this year, the Israeli authorities commenced supplying Abu Shabab’s group with arms and equipment, in the context of ongoing hostilities in Gaza that started in October 2023.
The backing further empowered the gang to unleash deadly violence throughout Gaza, particularly in the southern city of Rafah.
In June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that the administration had been providing arms and support to a group linked with Daesh, as a strategy to counter the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas.
Before assuming leadership of the gang, Abu Shabab served time in a Gaza prison. In 2024, he took control of the organization, causing elders and leaders of the influential Abu Shabab family to dissociate from his faction.
Hamas is conducting mop-up operations following the implementation of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza. This comes in the wake of a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of nearly 70,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, amid accusations of genocide against Israel.
