Rival Hamas clans and militias are making their way through the chaos left by Israel in Gaza.

CairoIn early July, the Gaza Interior Ministry, linked to the Hamas governing structure still operating in the territory, issued an unusual statement: it urged the leader of a rival militia operating in the southern Strip with Israeli support to surrender within ten days. He was charged with treason and collaboration with hostile entities, forming an armed group, and armed rebellion. Failure to do so, the message warned, would result in a trial in absentia.

Behind that statement, however, lay a test case for Hamas. If they managed to capture Yasser Abu Shabab before the deadline, which expired this Saturday, they could demonstrate that they still retain some control over the territory. If not, their deteriorating ability to impose authority on Gaza would be once again evident, amid a near-collapse of internal security. As of Friday, there was no news of his arrest.

After nearly two years of Israel's fierce military campaign against Hamas, the Palestinian group is profoundly weakened and its military wing has been virtually dismantled. A lesser-noticed aspect is the Israeli army's systematic attacks on Gaza security forces, including the police, in a parallel offensive that many interpret as a deliberate strategy to disrupt public order and foster chaos.

Filling the Vacuum

This void is being filled, increasingly directly, by local clans that have traditionally played a key social role in Gaza, but also by some armed groups. Although this is considered a temporary situation, in a context where Hamas's effective control is difficult to determine, several large clans are stepping forward and assuming governing functions such as preserving a degree of social peace and protecting the few resources that Israel allows in.

The rival group to Hamas that has generated the most attention, despite its limited forces, is the militia led by Abu Shabab, a figure with previous ties to the Islamic State and criminal activities who has recently received support from Israel. His group demonstrated remarkable freedom of action in Rafah, in southern Gaza, even in areas under Israeli control, where it managed to manage humanitarian aid and set up a small camp for internally displaced persons.

Also in southern Gaza, a coalition of large families issued a public statement just as Abu Shabab began to gain notoriety, apparently willing to distance itself while expressing a willingness to temporarily assume basic government tasks in the area, but without collaborating with Israel.

Although the degree of influence they retain is difficult to measure, it is in northern Gaza where the large clans seem to be gaining more prominence. There, their role is more visible, since, unlike in the south, where humanitarian aid is distributed through three centers managed by an opaque foundation of the United States and Israel, In the north, trucks from international organizations continue to enter, requiring safe passage and some logistical support.

Dahlan's Shadow

Another figure leveraging his influence in this context is Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of Gaza security before Hamas's rise to power and leader of a Fatah faction, the party of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, which governs parts of the West Bank. A resident of Abu Dhabi and very close to the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates, Dahlan stood out for having attempted a coup against Hamas after the Islamists' victory in the last elections Palestinians were able to hold in 2006.

This growing importance of certain families in day-to-day management is evident in the fact that the group had already had to deal with this at length during its years of government in the Strip. In some cases, Hamas continues to collaborate with influential clans, maintaining balances that predate war. But with smaller militias and families trying to gain prominence, direct clashes have already occurred.

In late June, for example, Hamas forces clashed for several days with armed members of the Barbaj clan in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, after accusing them of looting humanitarian aid, a claim the clan denied. Around the same time, armed members of another smaller clan, the Abu Ziyad, released a video challenging Hamas and demanding that the group hand over those responsible for the alleged recent murder of a family member.

Despite these tensions, Palestinian political scientist Abdalhadi Alijla points out that Hamas has long negotiated its authority and legitimacy with larger clans in the Strip, and asserts that the clans are neither monolithic groups nor entirely separate from Hamas. "Many Hamas leaders, but also activists and militants, are part of these extended families, so these clans do not necessarily present themselves as a challenge," he tells ARA.