Armed Gaza clans turn on Hamas as IDF advances deeper into Gaza City

Local clans across Gaza are pushing back against Hamas control, forming understandings with the IDF and fighting in areas under pressure from Israel’s military offensive.

As the IDF intensifies its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, armed clans across the territory have begun asserting local control and, in some cases, directly challenging Hamas rule, sources in the Southern Command said Wednesday.

Military officials said several clans have deployed hundreds of armed operatives at key entry points to prevent Hamas security forces from regaining control.

Among the forces active on the ground isHamas’s “Arrow Unit,” a violent internal enforcement squad responsible for arrests, attacks, and executions of suspected collaborators with Israel.

According to security assessments, these local groups have come to understand that Israel is determined to dismantle the Gaza City Brigade, led byIzz al-Din al-Haddad, and have identified the mass movement of civilians southward as a strategic vulnerability for Hamas.

Sources reported that direct confrontations have occurred between clan operatives and Hamas fighters in multiple locations.

Some of the clans, including the Abu Shabab group, are said to have reached an informal arrangement with the IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). Under the reported understanding, clan members have remained in place in Gaza City without evacuating south, while benefiting from a safe zone established in coordination with Israeli forces and utilizing a protected corridor for humanitarian assistance.

“In some places, there has been actual fighting between the armed groups and Hamas operatives,” a security official said. Intelligence officials believe that clan leaders see an opportunity to solidify their power amid growing perceptions that Hamas may ultimately be defeated.

Officials added that coordination between the Southern Command chief, Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor and the Shin Bet have facilitated what they described as a “positive process” of cooperation with local forces.

Abu Shabab clan emerges as prominent example

The Abu Shabab clan has emerged as a prominent example. Active in the area between Rafah and Khan Yunis, the group has reportedly killed Hamas operatives in recent clashes. Another group, the Tarabin clan, operates primarily in southern Gaza. Exchanges of fire between Abu Shabab and Hamas have reportedly continued in recent weeks.

Other clans, including theShawish, Baraka, and Abu Tir, have not yet taken a clear stance. Some have begun offering shelter to civilians unwilling to relocate to designated humanitarian zones, contingent upon a pledge of loyalty to the host clan.

At the outset of the initiative, Israeli officials acknowledged internal debate over the risks of engaging with armed groups in Gaza, including the Abu Shabab clan. Despite this, some within the defense establishment now view the emerging clan dynamics as a potential turning point in Israel’s efforts to weaken Hamas’s hold on the Strip.