The Tuesday public execution of seven men accused of collaborating with rival factions exposed the internal rift and fierce territorial dispute within the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip. Beyond the impact of the images — shot in the street and widely shared on social media — the episode reveals the magnitude of the battle for real control of the territory, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the signing of the international peace agreement.
The recent wave of violence is only the most visible manifestation of an underground struggle for dominance in the territory, which has gained momentum as part of Hamas’s armed apparatus seeks to reassert its supremacy in the face of the advance of insurgent militias and armed clans with their own power. The Reuters report notes that following the Israeli withdrawal following the agreement brokered by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, Hamas deployed nearly 7,000 members of its shock troops to regain control in abandoned areas, especially in southern and eastern Gaza, where its command is contested.
In these southern territories, two armed groups have emerged as the main challengers to Hamas’s control: the Popular Forces, led by Yasser Abu Shabab in Rafah, and the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force (CSF), led by Husam al-Astal in Khan Younis. The Popular Forces operate mainly in eastern Rafah, where they claim to control several kilometers of territory and are responsible for the distribution of humanitarian aid. According to reports from Euronews and The Guardian , the group is made up of around 300 men and defines itself as a “defensive” force made up of former combatants and civilians seeking to ensure the supply of food and medicine after the withdrawal of Hamas.
The Counter-Terrorism Strike Force (CSF) – also known as the Strike Force Against Terror – was established on August 21, 2025, and is based in the village of Kizan al-Najjar, south of Khan Younis. Its leader, Husam al-Astal, a former Palestinian Authority security officer, claims that the CSF acts to “protect civilians from Hamas repression” and maintain a “humanitarian zone” for displaced people from the conflict. According to The Times of Israel, the militia has established a partially autonomous enclave in southern Gaza and maintains tactical cooperation with the Popular Forces, although the two groups retain independent commands and structures.
The territorial conflict is not limited to clashes between armed brigades. Tribal clans such as the Dughmosh, Al-Majayda, and Barbah, historically autonomous and with local control over the distribution of aid and basic resources, reject Hamas's sole command. According to a Reuters report on Tuesday, the terrorist group has intensified raids and repression against these structures, while the tribes take advantage of the weakening of central power to reassert their own dominance and prolong the chaos in the distribution of food, medicine, and protection.
The context for this fragmentation is the power vacuum created by the systematic elimination of Hamas leaders in Israeli raids over the past two years. The deaths of leaders such as Marwan Issa, Rashid Jahjouh, Amin Eslaiah, Yasser Mohammed Harb Musa, Abu Obaida, and Mohammed Sinwar—according to IDF reports—disrupted the chain of command and left large areas without clear governance. The lack of a cohesive authority allows militias and clans to consolidate power grabs and control entire regions.
According to medical sources consulted by Reuters , clashes for territorial control have caused dozens of deaths in recent days, both among combatants and civilians caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile, the Israeli army confirmed drone attacks in border areas, attributed to violations of the security line.
Although the international peace agreement sought to restore stability to Gaza—including the release of hostages and the arrival of reconstruction aid—the multiplicity of armed groups and the territorial fracture within Gaza challenge Hamas's ability to exercise unified command. Far from consolidating the truce, the enclave faces an accelerated reconfiguration of its internal borders, with territory being negotiated daily between the rifles of dissident organizations, tribal leaders, and insurgents.
