Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group based in Gaza, has executed criminals and traitors from rival clans and groups inside the territory.
Some of these brutal executions were carried out in public, with Hamas sharing footage of the killings on social media. It said some individuals committed murder and claimed that others spied for Israel.
Hamas – which is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany, the US and several other countries – is seeking to retake control of Gaza just days after the war with Israel ended.
According to the Israeli daily, it still commands about 40,000 fighters. HaaretzWhich can now be seen again on the streets and squares of Gaza.
Hamas activists are carrying out a crackdown against Palestinians in Gaza, accusing it of capital crimes and political crimes. Dozens of people have also been arrested, according to Khaled Abu Tomeh, a journalist working in the Palestinian territories who spoke to the Israeli daily. jerusalem post“It is believed that many of them will be hanged,” he said.
The Doghmush clan, which has been in conflict with Hamas for several years, is a well-known group in Gaza. Originally from Turkey, this tribe settled in the Gaza Strip during the 20th century and gradually took control of two districts in the region.
It is said to be affiliated with the Fatah party and the Palestinian Authority (PA), both led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. According to a report by Arabic news broadcaster Al Jazeera, members of the Doghmush clan were involved in the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
The Abu Shabaab clan, a Bedouin group based in the south of Gaza, is also involved in a power struggle with Hamas. The Palestinian Islamist group has accused Abu Shabaab of collaborating with Israel, a claim the tribe denies. A israel time The newspaper reports that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Abu Shabaab with weapons, and said that Netanyahu has confirmed the move.
What’s next for Hamas?
What does the future hold for Hamas in light of these power struggles? According to US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, the group must be completely disarmed; However, this does not seem likely right now.
Trump has made contradictory statements regarding the disarmament of the group. Addressing the Israeli parliament on Monday, Trump declared that “virtually the entire region supports the plan that Gaza will be immediately demilitarized, that Hamas will be disarmed and that Israel’s security will no longer be threatened in any way, shape or form.”
Yet before his speech, on the flight to Israel, Trump told reporters that his government had allowed Hamas to temporarily regroup as it tries to restore order after months of war.
However, recently, Trump doubled down on the group’s disarmament, saying that if Hamas did not give up its weapons, the US would disarm it by force.
Hamas is talking about showing its presence in Gaza
Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, a professor of Islam at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Hamas sent a clear message when its armed operations appeared in Gaza City shortly after the Israeli withdrawal. “Hamas is insisting that it has not in any way disappeared from the Gaza Strip; on the contrary, it continues to claim its role there,” he said.
According to one, it may take a long time for Hamas to disarm Analysis by the US Atlantic Council think tankIts study said that as long as Hamas continues to exist – whether as an armed group, as a political movement or just as an idea – there is a significant risk that it will reassert its influence in the Gaza Strip to assert its interests.
Simon Engelkes, head of the Ramallah branch of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said Hamas sees its weapons as a means of guaranteeing its survival militarily, politically and symbolically.
“Without some concrete political quid pro quo, Hamas will probably not agree to disarm,” Engelkes told DW. “US President Trump’s ‘security guarantees’ that the war in the Gaza Strip will not continue because of the ceasefire agreement will not suffice at this stage.”
Even though Hamas’s military structures were severely weakened by the war, its network and presence in Gaza remain intact, Engelkes said. “This ensures their political viability in the short to medium term.”
Who maintains Gaza’s internal security?
After taking power in Gaza in 2007, Hamas was responsible for police and internal security as well as the judiciary. It maintained Gaza security until October 7, 2023, the day it attacked Israel, so it would be difficult to completely disarm Hamas.
It remains to be seen who will take charge of Gaza’s internal security in the future. Egypt and Jordan have announced that they are training approximately 5,000 security officers for future deployment in Gaza. According to Trump’s Arab partners, PA police officers may also be involved.
“It is entirely possible that Israel will veto these local forces,” Fuchs said. This, he said, is because the Israeli government does not want the PA to play any role in Gaza. According to Fuchs, Israel does not want any of these forces to have any connection with the PA government in Ramallah. “As such, it is completely unclear how this issue will be compromised and who should have control over the security services.”
Can Hamas be removed from power?
The US, its regional partners and many other countries agree that Hamas should no longer be in charge in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Hamas still remains a threat.
“You cannot destroy a terrorist group overnight with thousands of fighters, tunnels and this kind of weapons,” Macron said after agreeing to a Hamas-Israel ceasefire in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, earlier this week.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that his country is willing and ready to help disarm Hamas. The German government is also against Hamas continuing to play a political role in Gaza.
The real struggle is still ahead, Engelkes said. He said it would focus not only on weapons but also on political control and legitimacy. “Who will speak for Gaza in the future and with what authority?” he asked.
Will Hamas go underground?
During a recent parliamentary hearing, the head of the German foreign intelligence service, Martin Jaeger, said that it would also be risky to completely ignore Hamas’s interests.
Jagger told lawmakers, “There is a very real risk” that Hamas could become active outside Gaza if it does not join the transitional administration of the Palestinian enclave, but instead moves out of the territory or goes underground. “Undoubtedly, this will have an impact not only on the entire Arab region, but also on Europe.”
All observers agree that the main objective should be to allow Palestinians to live in dignity. If this is not ensured, violence may erupt once again.
This article was originally written in German. It was updated on October 15, 2025 to include additional information.