Fractured Gaza: Clan militias rise Amid Hamas’s decline

Powerful clan-based militias are increasingly asserting control across parts of the Gaza Strip, signaling what Israeli defense officials describe as a significant shift in the territory’s balance of power—and a potential inflection point in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

According to senior Israeli military sources, the rise of these armed factions reflects a growing erosion of Hamas’s authority, particularly in areas heavily impacted by IDF ground operations. 

With Hamas forces pushed back or fragmented, long-established clans have stepped into the vacuum, acting independently and often violently to expand their control.

These groups, many with roots in smuggling and criminal networks, have begun to function as local warlords. 

They seize aid shipments, loot warehouses, and have been involved in violent clashes with Hamas operatives. “Hamas no longer maintains a monopoly on force in Gaza,” one Israeli officer noted. “We are seeing a breakdown of centralized authority.”

Sources quoted by Arab-language media report widespread lawlessness in parts of the Strip, with gangs and clan militias increasingly dictating local terms. In some cases, these groups provide a degree of order and protection. In others, they act as predatory forces, deepening the suffering of civilians.

One of the most prominent factions is the Abu Shabab clan, led by Yasser Abu Shabab of the Tarabin tribe. After being driven from Rafah, the group resurfaced in both northern and southern Gaza. 

Reports suggest they are both escorting humanitarian aid and looting it—often in the same breath. Hamas has accused them of collaborating with Israel, a charge the group denies, though the claim underscores the growing tension between Hamas and rival factions.

The rise of clan power is not new, but the current war has accelerated and exposed the phenomenon. For years, Hamas tolerated or even cooperated with some of these clans, using them to facilitate arms and goods smuggling. But with the movement’s hierarchy under immense pressure, that uneasy relationship has unraveled.Another powerful group, the Dughmush clan—also known as Dajmash—operates from Gaza City and has a long record of confrontation with Hamas. 

The clan’s past involvement in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is well known. Its current strength is further evidence of Hamas’s loss of control in key urban centers.

Other active clans include:

• Abu Tir clan – involved in smuggling operations in Khan Yunis.

• Al Kashk clan – closely tied to local power structures in Gaza City.

• Abu Risha clan – with links to radical Salafi groups, previously strong in Rafah.

• Shawish and Baraka clans – both armed and regionally active, with the Baraka clan aligned with Fatah.

According to Israeli and regional analysts, most of these groups are not ideologically driven. Their motivations are largely economic and opportunistic—exploiting the disarray of war to carve out zones of influence. In some neighborhoods, their presence is more visible than Hamas’s.

Former Israeli officials caution that even with a ceasefire, these factions could challenge any attempt by Hamas to rebuild its authority. “There is no vacuum in Gaza,” one source emphasized. “If Hamas pulls back, these clans move in. And they’re not waiting for permission.”

From Israel’s perspective, this fragmentation within Gaza is not just a tactical development but potentially a strategic one. A weakened Hamas—hemmed in by internal rivals, external pressure, and the collapse of its centralized control—could mark a turning point in the broader campaign. 

The war has not only damaged Hamas militarily, but may have permanently altered the landscape of power in Gaza.