❗️Hamas prepares ‘largest yet’ crackdown on Israeli-backed militias in Gaza: Mondoweiss

 ❗️Hamas prepares ‘largest yet’ crackdown on Israeli-backed militias in Gaza: Mondoweiss

Hamas is preparing to launch what it calls its “largest yet” security campaign against Israeli-backed militias operating in Gaza, according to Interior Ministry security sources who spoke to Mondoweiss.

The upcoming operation will target armed groups funded and supplied by the Israeli army, including the most powerful, the Abu Shabab militia in eastern Rafah, as well as smaller factions like the so-called “Popular Army” led by Ashraf al-Mansi in northern Gaza.

Hamas has already cracked down on several groups since the 10 October ceasefire, including disarming the Dughmush clan in Gaza City.

According to the sources, Israeli-backed militias have been receiving weapons, vehicles, money, and logistical support from the Israeli army.

Confessions from captured members revealed they were tasked with security sweeps, kidnappings, attacks on resistance fighters, and looting aid.

The Abu Shabab group is believed to number around 2,000 members and is described by Hamas officials as the most dangerous faction, enjoying extensive protection from Israeli forces. Other groups, like Mansi’s, are less equipped but operate close to Israeli positions, making operations against them more complicated.

The sources also claimed that Israeli funding is channeled not only directly but through regional actors and Palestinian Authority-linked entities, under Israeli military supervision. Hamas has seized weapons and vehicles from these militias, but officials declined to provide details, saying further revelations “will shock everyone.”

The movement had previously offered amnesty to collaborators who surrendered, excluding those involved in killings, but the window has since closed.

While the campaign has faced criticism from some international actors, tribal leaders in Gaza have publicly supported Hamas’s efforts to eliminate collaborators.

“We continue to monitor and arrest members of these groups,” the security source told Mondoweiss, adding that the next phase of the operation will unfold “on multiple fronts” where these militias remain active.