JNS
Hamas leaders rattled by emergence of clans against them in Gaza
Yaakov Lappin
July 17, 2025

Israel is reportedly actively arming and supporting multiple local, anti-Hamas clans and militias in the Gaza Strip as part of a broader effort to cultivate a new source of local power for the “day after” the war.  According to assessments in Israel, Hamas has been significantly shaken by these efforts. Recent reports indicate this policy, which includes Israeli support for a militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, is expanding. According to a July 3 report by Ynet news, Israel is arming and coordinating with two additional clans: the Khalas clan, operating in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, and a faction led by Yasser Khanidak in Khan Yunis…A key tool for empowering these new groups, he suggested, will be the massive reconstruction effort Gaza will require. By giving these new clan leaders control over local construction companies, labor recruitment, and security for building sites, Israel and its international partners could help create a new, organic power base…READ MORE