Hamas is mobilizing some 7,000 members of its security forces to regain control of areas of Gaza from which Israeli troops are retreating. The Palestinian organization also appointed five new governors, some of whom had previously commanded brigades in its armed wing.
The mobilization order was reportedly issued through phone calls and text messages, stating that the goal was to cleanse Gaza of illegals and collaborators of Israel. The messages called on fighters to report to designated locations within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that armed Hamas units have already been deployed in various areas, with some wearing civilian clothes and others the blue uniforms of the Gaza police.
Tensions in the Palestinian enclave have been escalating in recent hours, particularly after the murder of two Hamas fighters by gunmen from the Dughmush faction in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. One of the two dead was the son of a senior Hamas military commander, Imad Akel, who is now the head of the organization's military intelligence service. Their bodies were left on the street, sparking anger and raising the possibility of armed confrontation.
Hamas fighters then surrounded a large area where more than 300 Dougmous men, armed with machine guns and improvised explosive devices, were believed to have been entrenched. This morning, Hamas killed one Dougmous member and reportedly kidnapped 30 others. It is noted that some of the faction's weapons were looted from Hamas warehouses during the war, while others had been in their possession for years.
The mobilization of Hamas fighters was widely expected, however, it could complicate matters regarding who will govern Gaza after the end of the war. It is recalled that the second phase of the Trump peace plan requires the disarmament of the Palestinian organization.
A Hamas official abroad declined to immediately comment on reports of the security force deployment, but told the BBC that"we cannot leave Gaza at the mercy of thieves and militias supported by the Israeli occupation."
For his part, a retired security officer who served the Palestinian Authority in Gaza for years said that he feared that the region was heading towards a new cycle of internal bloodshed.
Hamas has not changed. It still believes that weapons and violence are the only means to keep its movement alive. Gaza is awash with weapons. Thieves have stolen thousands of weapons and ammunition from Hamas stockpiles during the war, while some groups have even received supplies from Israel. This is the perfect recipe for civil war : weapons, frustration, chaos and a movement desperately trying to regain control of a shattered and exhausted population, he said.
BBC
