Hamas Security Officer says that the group has lost control over Gaza

In Hamas’s security forces, a senior official has said that the BBC Palestinian armed group has lost about 80% of its control over the Gaza Strip and is filling the armed clan zero.

Lieutenant Colonel said that Hamas’s command and control system collapsed due to the months of Israel, which has destroyed the group’s political, military and security leadership.

In the first week of the war, the officer was injured, which began on 7 October 2023 after the Hamas -led attack on Israel, and has since been away from his duties due to health reasons.

He shared several voice messages with the BBC on the condition of anonymity.

In messages, the officer depicted a picture of Hamas’ internal disintegration and close-to-safety collapse in Gaza, which the group governed before the struggle.

“Let’s be realistic here – anything left of the security structure. Most leadership, about 95%, are now dead … active figures are all killed,” he said. “So in reality, what is Israel stopping from continuing this war?”

“Logically, it will have to continue to the end. All conditions align: Israel has upper hand, the world is silent, Arab regime is silent, criminal gangs are everywhere, society is collapsing.”

Last September, the then Israel’s Defense Minister announced that “Hamas is no longer as a military formation” and it was engaged in guerrilla warfare.

According to the official, Hamas tried to reorganize his political, military and security councils during the 57-day ceasefire with Israel earlier this year.

But since Israel ended the Trus in March, it has targeted the remaining command structures of Hamas, leaving the group in disarray.

“Regarding the security situation, let me be clear: it has completely collapsed. It has completely gone. There is no control anywhere,” he said.

“People looted the most powerful Hamas security system (Ansar), the complex in which Hamas Gaza ruled.

“They looted everything, office – mattress, even zinc panel – no other intervention. No police, no security.”

The official said that the result of the security vacuum was a gang or armed clans “everywhere”.

“They can stop you, kill you. Nobody will intervene. Anyone who tried to take action on his own, such as resistance against thieves, was bombed by Israel within half an hour.

“So, the safety situation is zero. Hamas control is zero. There is no leadership, no command. There is no communication. Salary is delayed, and when they reach, they are barely useable. Some die. Some die. Just trying to collect them. It is a total collapse.”

On 26 June, At least 18 people killed when an Israeli drone strike targeted a plain Hamas police unit Witnesses and Medix said that while trying to claim control of a market in Dir al-Balah, accusing the vendors of the price and the help of the robbery, witnesses and medics said.

The Israeli army stated that it killed “many armed terrorists” belonging to Hamas’s internal security forces.

In this vacuum, six armed group affiliated to powerful local clans have emerged as serious contenders to fill the zero.

These groups have money, weapons and access to men, and are active in all of Gaza, but are mostly in the south.

One of them is led by Yasar Abu Shabab, a person who has attracted attention from the Palestinian Authority, located in the occupied West Bank and is a rival of regional players along with Hamas – especially after confirming Israel last month, it was supplying it with weapons.

The officer confirmed that Hamas had placed a large reward on Abu Shaba’s head, fearing that he could become an integrated person for many of his enemies.

“Hamas will ignore ordinary thieves. People are hungry and [the fighters] Do not want to provoke more chaos. But this man? If Hamas fighters find him, they can follow him instead of the Israeli tank. ,

Sources in Gaza told the BBC that Abu Shabab was working to coordinate with other armed groups to form a joint council for the purpose of topping Hamas.

A retired Palestinian Security Officer, who torn Hamas’s military wing in 1996, was part of the force after a wave of bombing in Israel, said Abu Shabab’s network was receiving traction.

“A group of Abu Shabab is like an orphan child, who would like to adopt if he succeeds in reducing Hamas rule,” the official said, who now lives in Cairo.

He said, “In public, all sides deny the links of armed groups in Gaza. But Abu Shabab met a senior Palestinian intelligence officer thrice and sent messages of assurance to Egyptians through relatives in Sinai.”

He also said that Abu Shabab “maintains good relations with Mohammad Dahalan’s camp”. Dahalan is a former Gaza security head, who lives in exile since going out with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas 15 years ago.

The Hamas Security Officer warned that the group was “ready to do anything” to finish Abu Shabab, not due to its current military strength, but fear may become a symbol around which all the opponents of Hamas are rally rally.

“For 17 years, Hamas created enemies everywhere. If a person like Abu Shabab can rally those forces, it can be the beginning of the end for us.”

Since Gaza is further immersed in chaos, with the landing of the gang all over the neighborhood, Hamas not only finds himself under the fire of Israel, but is rapidly surrounded by rivals from within.