The New Battle of Gaza: Hamas and Islamic Jihad Against the Gangsters of Shin Bet

According to the Sedaye Sama News Agency, A new battle has erupted in Gaza following the ceasefire, as armed groups supported by the Israeli regime have clashed with the resistance forces. Only a few hours after the withdrawal of Israeli occupation troops from residential areas, these armed gangs assassinated several Palestinians and engaged the resistance fighters, attempting to impose a new reality on Gaza.

According to the plan devised by Shin Bet (Shabak) and the Israeli army, control over parts of Gaza is to be handed over to local militias in order to gradually weaken Hamas’ influence. This prompted the resistance factions to take decisive action to prevent the establishment of such autonomous zones.

In recent days, resistance forces have launched extensive security operations, inflicting heavy blows on these Israel-backed militias to prevent them from creating areas of control within Gaza. Although this has posed a new security challenge for Palestinians, the resistance has acted swiftly to neutralize the threat.

After the ceasefire, Hamas leaders initially declared a “general amnesty” to reduce tensions, allowing deceived members who were not involved in killings to surrender and regularize their legal and security status.

However, those involved in crimes, assassinations, and smuggling humanitarian aid were given an ultimatum to surrender within one week or face severe consequences. Security forces in Gaza subsequently arrested 60 militants collaborating with the occupation, while several others were killed during clashes.

An official source within Gaza’s security services confirmed that, in a large-scale operation against an armed tribal gang in Gaza City, 32 militants were killed, 30 wounded, and 24 arrested, with all their weapons seized. Six members of the security forces were martyred in the operation.

According to Palestinian sources, this campaign involves all resistance factions — including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front — targeting gangs that have betrayed the resistance by exposing its fighters’ locations, looting their weapons, and spreading chaos.

Meanwhile, the gangs kidnapped and executed Saleh al-Ja‘frawi, a Palestinian journalist and activist, while he was covering the destruction in southern Gaza after Israel’s withdrawal. He was identified by local collaborators, abducted by a tribal gang, and executed near the Jordanian field hospital.

Al-Ja‘frawi had helped organize a campaign to raise funds for rebuilding the Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in central Gaza, collecting over $10 million. A day before his murder, the same gangs assassinated Mohammad Aqel, a field commander of the Qassam Brigades and son of senior commander Imad Aqel, who had been hunted by the occupation for over 700 days.

Israel Hayom reported that these gangs, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, Hussam al-Astal, Rami Helles, Ghassan al-Dehini, and Ashraf al-Mansi, are active in northern and southern Gaza under Shabak’s direction.

Channel 14 claimed that the Israeli occupation has formed five local militia groups across Gaza to control specific areas and counter Hamas.

According to Maariv, these gangs mainly operate in eastern Rafah, Khan Younis, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun — regions excluded from the initial Israeli withdrawal zones under the ceasefire agreement.

Analysts believe Israel’s goal is to establish indirect security enclaves through local mercenaries, while the Palestinian resistance seeks to maintain full sovereignty over Gaza — a key factor in its post-war strategy.

Ultimately, this new confrontation represents a continuation of Israel’s hybrid war strategy: after exhausting its ground forces, Shabak now relies on proxy militias. The resistance, however, is determined not to allow Gaza to be fragmented into Israeli-controlled autonomous zones.