Hamas mobilizes its fighters as fears of internal violence mount

Hamas has recalled about 7,000 members of its security forces to reassert its control over areas of Gaza from which Israeli forces recently withdrew, according to local sources.

The Palestinian movement also appointed five new governors, all of whom have military backgrounds, and some of whom had previously led brigades in its armed wing.

The mobilization order was reportedly issued via phone calls and text messages, stating that the goal was to “purge Gaza of outlaws and collaborators with Israel” and requesting that fighters come within 24 hours.

Reports from Gaza indicate that armed Hamas units have already deployed in several areas, some wearing civilian clothes and others wearing the blue uniform of the Gaza Police. Hamas’s media office denied deploying “fighters in the streets.”

Tensions escalated sharply and rapidly after two members of Hamas’ elite forces were killed by gunfire from gunmen from the powerful Dugmush clan in the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City. One of them was the son of a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing, Imad Akl, who now heads the movement’s military intelligence.

Their bodies were left in the street, sparking anger and raising the possibility of a major armed response by Hamas.

Later, Hamas members surrounded a large area where more than 300 Dogmush militants were believed to be holed up, armed with automatic rifles and improvised explosives.

This morning, Hamas killed a member of the Dughmush clan, and kidnapped 30 others.

Some of the clan’s weapons were looted from Hamas warehouses during the war, while others remained in the clan’s possession for years.

The Hamas mobilization was widely expected amid growing uncertainty over who will rule Gaza once the war ends.

This is a major issue that could complicate the start of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which calls on Hamas to disarm.

A Hamas official abroad declined to comment directly on reports of the security deployment, but told the BBC: “We cannot leave Gaza at the mercy of thieves and militias supported by the Israeli occupation. Our weapons are legitimate… to resist the occupation, and they will remain as long as the occupation continues.”

A retired security officer who served for years in the Palestinian Authority in Gaza said he feared the region could slide toward another round of internal bloodshed.

He told the BBC, “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 stole thousands of weapons and rounds of ammunition from Hamas warehouses during the war, and some groups even received supplies from Israel.

“This is a perfect recipe for civil war: weapons, frustration, chaos, and a desperate movement to reassert control over a fractured and exhausted population.”

Khalil Abu Shamala, a human rights expert who lives in Gaza, said it was not yet clear whether Hamas would accept handing over control of the territory or seek to obstruct the plan’s implementation.

He added: “There is no doubt that there is widespread fear among many Gazans about the possibility of internal fighting, given the many circumstances that could fuel it.”

He said that Hamas was forced to accept the peace plan because of the intense pressure it was exposed to.

He said: “I believe that its continued attempts to maintain its influence by any means, including interference in security affairs, could ultimately jeopardize the agreement and plunge the people of Gaza into greater suffering.”

These developments since the ceasefire earlier this week have raised deep concern among Gazans already exhausted by two years of devastating conflict.