Hours after agreeing to a peace deal with Israel to end the war in Gaza, Hamas reportedly made a public show of its dominance over rival groups in the territory, engaging in gun battles with Palestinian clans it suspects of having collaborated with Israel and establishing checkpoints throughout the area to claim weapons from local militia.
The terror group’s swift deployment across the region to “settle scores” with rival groups suggests that, despite the significant damages it incurred as a result of the Israeli military’s offensive, it remains heavily armed and capable of asserting power within the Gaza Strip, according to the Financial Times.
Citing interviews with Gazans as well as social media posts and security updates from the UN and other agencies, the newspaper reported that although Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal – involving Israeli hostages being swapped for Palestinian prisoners by tomorrow – their military capabilities, perceived by Israel to be dwindling, could prove a challenge to the second phase of the ceasefire, which would require the terror outfit to disarm and allow the enclave’s security to be taken over by an international authority.
It was only a matter of hours after the first phase of the ceasefire came into effect that the group engaged in gun battles in northern Gaza with two Palestinian clans that had received aid and weapons from the Israeli military, the FT reported.
