by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
GAZA CITY (Worthy News) – Hamas has launched a bloody campaign to reassert control over the Gaza Strip, killing more than 30 people in recent days as the group seeks to stamp out rival factions and reestablish dominance following a fragile ceasefire.
According to Palestinian security officials, at least 33 people have been killed and 24 arrested in what Hamas describes as a “security operation” targeting a powerful clan-based gang in Gaza City. Six Hamas members were also killed in the clashes, which erupted days after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect.
The crackdown comes as a weakened Hamas cautiously returns to the streets after being pummeled by Israel during the two-year conflict that began with the October 7, 2023, attacks. Security sources say the group is attempting to prevent a power vacuum and suppress growing lawlessness that has spread since the fighting stopped.
Video footage circulating on social media Monday appeared to show masked gunmen—some wearing Hamas insignia—executing kneeling men in public as crowds shouted “Allahu Akbar.” Hamas officials reportedly accused the victims of being “collaborators.”
The campaign underscores the challenges facing U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, which requires Hamas to disarm while simultaneously managing internal security during the transition period. Trump confirmed that the United States had granted temporary approval for Hamas to conduct security operations, saying the move aimed to “stop the problems” and “maintain stability for a time.”
Hamas officials denied that the targets were linked to Yasser Abu Shabab, a prominent anti-Hamas figure in Rafah. However, they confirmed that one of his senior aides had been “liquidated” as part of the operation. “The campaign will continue until no one violates the law,” a Hamas security official said.
The bloody effort to consolidate control highlights both Hamas’s fragility and its determination to reimpose order amid Gaza’s ruins—underscoring the deep volatility surrounding efforts to secure lasting peace in the enclave.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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