HAMAS is intensifying its security campaign against armed gangs and militias in Gaza that collaborate with the Israeli military, officials say, aiming to restore full control and stability across the strip.
A senior security spokesman for Gaza’s Ministry of Interior said yesterday that Hamas will soon launch its largest operation yet to dismantle remaining armed gangs that continue to work with the Israeli occupation forces.
Since the October 10 ceasefire, Hamas forces have been actively targeting these militias, successfully disarming several factions, including the notorious Doghmush clan in Gaza City.
However, some militias remain active in areas still under Israeli control, notably the so-called ‘Popular Forces’ led by Yasser Abu Shabab in eastern Rafah and the ‘Popular Army’ headed by Ashraf al-Mansi in northern Gaza.
These groups have been identified as collaborators, receiving arms, funding, and logistical support from the Israeli military.
‘The number of gang members collaborating with the occupation is now limited to a few hundred across Gaza, excluding the Abu Shabab militia, which alone has around 2,000 members,’ the security official said.
‘These groups have been implicated in kidnappings, assassinations, sabotage, and providing armed cover for Israeli forces.’
Recent intelligence gathered through interrogations reveals the extent of coordination between these militias and the Israeli army, including carrying out security sweeps and attacks on resistance fighters.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Government Media Office said that merely 986 aid trucks have entered the besieged territory since the ceasefire between the Hamas resistance movement and the Israeli regime went into force on October 10.
The office reported that the arrived aid trucks account for only 15% of the 6,600 trucks that were expected to arrive by October 20.
It said the convoys consisted solely of 14 trucks that were transporting cooking gas and 28 trucks that were carrying solar fuel utilised for powering bakeries, generators, hospitals, and other vital facilities.
The supply continues to be critically inadequate after months of blockade and the ‘systematic destruction resulting from the genocide perpetrated by the “Israeli” occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip,’ it said.
‘These limited quantities do not cover the minimum humanitarian and living needs,’ the office warned.
The Government Media Office reaffirmed that authorities in Gaza are prepared to collaborate with international humanitarian and relief organisations to enable the entry and distribution of aid throughout all governorates and vital sectors ‘for the benefit of our resilient Palestinian people’.
Since the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal in early October, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has documented approximately 90 Palestinian fatalities and more than 300 injuries resulting from continuous Israeli assaults throughout the strip.
At least 100 ceasefire violations on the Israeli side have been reported as well.
This is while a delegation of Hamas officials, attending talks with Turkish officials in Qatar, yesterday stated that the Palestinian group remains committed to the ceasefire deal despite Israel’s ‘repeated violations.’
Newly received bodies have signs of torture and beating
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported yesterday that newly received bodies have signs of ‘torture, beating, handcuffing and blindfolding’.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed it received remains of 30 more Palestinian detainees held by Israel, bringing the total number of bodies received since the ceasefire to 195.
The ministry said its medical teams would continue to examine the bodies as per medical protocol to document their condition and deliver them to their families.
Forensic teams have reported horrific conditions endured by these Palestinians.
Some of the bodies show visible signs of torture, while others have arrived in a decomposed state.
This raises serious questions about the circumstances of their deaths, as Israel has not provided further details regarding their ages, names or how they died.
At the moment, the Health Ministry is continuing ground preparations, and it is possible the burials will take place in the city of Deir el-Balah.
