Hamas security officer says group has lost control over most of Gaza

A elder serviceman successful Hamas's information forces has told the BBC the Palestinian equipped radical has mislaid astir 80% of its power implicit the Gaza Strip and that equipped clans are filling the void.

The lieutenant colonel said Hamas's bid and power strategy had collapsed owed to months of Israeli strikes that person devastated the group's political, subject and information leadership.

The serviceman was wounded successful the archetypal week of the war, which began aft the Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel connected 7 October 2023, and has since stepped distant from his duties for wellness reasons.

He shared respective dependable messages with the BBC connected information of anonymity.

In the messages, the serviceman painted a representation of Hamas's interior disintegration and the near-total illness of information crossed Gaza, which the radical governed earlier the conflict.

"Let's beryllium realistic present - there's hardly thing near of the information structure. Most of the leadership, astir 95%, are present dead... The progressive figures person each been killed," helium said. "So really, what's stopping Israel from continuing this war?"

"Logically, it has to proceed until the end. All the conditions are aligned: Israel has the precocious hand, the satellite is silent, the Arab regimes are silent, transgression gangs are everywhere, nine is collapsing."

Last September, Israel's then-defence curate declared that "Hamas arsenic a subject enactment nary longer exists" and that it was engaged successful guerrilla warfare.

According to the officer, Hamas attempted to regroup during the 57-day ceasefire with Israel earlier this year, reorganizing its political, military, and information councils.

But since Israel ended the truce successful March, it has targeted Hamas's remaining bid structures, leaving the radical successful disarray.

"About the information situation, fto maine beryllium clear: it has wholly collapsed. Totally gone. There's nary power anywhere," helium said.

"People looted the astir almighty Hamas information apparatus (Ansar), the analyzable which Hamas utilized to regularisation Gaza.

"They looted everything, the offices - mattresses, adjacent zinc panels - and no-one intervened. No police, nary security."

The serviceman said a effect of the information vacuum was gangs oregon equipped clans were "everywhere".

"They could halt you, termination you. No 1 would intervene. Anyone who tried to enactment connected their own, similar organising absorption against thieves, was bombed by Israel wrong fractional an hour.

"So, the information concern is zero. Hamas's power is zero. There's nary leadership, nary command, nary communication. Salaries are delayed, and erstwhile they bash arrive, they're hardly usable. Some dice conscionable trying to cod them. It's full collapse."

On 26 June, astatine slightest 18 radical were killed erstwhile an Israeli drone onslaught targeted a plainclothes Hamas constabulary unit attempting to asseverate power implicit a marketplace successful Deir al-Balah, accusing vendors of terms gouging and selling looted aid, witnesses and medics said.

The Israeli subject said it struck "several equipped terrorists" belonging to Hamas's Internal Security Forces.

In this vacuum, six equipped groups affiliated with almighty section clans person emerged arsenic superior contenders to capable the void, according to the officer.

These groups person entree to money, weapons and men, and are progressive crossed each of Gaza, but mostly successful the south.

One of them is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a fig who has attracted attraction from the Palestinian Authority, which is based successful the occupied West Bank and is simply a rival to Hamas, arsenic good arsenic determination players - peculiarly aft Israel confirmed past period that it was supplying him with weapons.

The serviceman confirmed that Hamas had placed a ample bounty connected Abu Shabab's head, fearing helium could go a unifying fig for its galore enemies.

"Hamas would disregard mean thieves. People are bare and [the fighters] don't privation to provoke much chaos. But this guy? If the Hamas fighters find him, they mightiness spell aft him alternatively of Israeli tanks."

Sources successful Gaza told the BBC that Abu Shabab was moving to co-ordinate with different equipped groups to signifier a associated assembly aimed astatine toppling Hamas.

A retired Palestinian information official, who was portion of the unit that cracked down connected Hamas's subject helping successful 1996 pursuing a question of bombings successful Israel, said Abu Shabab's web was gaining traction.

"Abu Shabab's radical is similar an orphaned kid who everyone volition privation to follow if helium succeeds successful undermining Hamas rule," said the official, who present lives successful Cairo.

"Publicly, each sides contradict links to the equipped groups successful Gaza. But Abu Shabab has met a elder Palestinian quality serviceman 3 times and sent messages of assurance to the Egyptians done relatives successful Sinai," helium claimed.

He besides said Abu Shabab "maintains bully ties with Mohammad Dahlan's camp". Dahlan is simply a erstwhile Gaza information main who has lived successful exile since helium fell retired with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas 15 years ago.

The Hamas information serviceman warned the radical was "willing to bash anything" to destruct Abu Shabab not due to the fact that of his existent subject strength, but retired of fearfulness helium could go a awesome astir which each of Hamas's adversaries rally.

"For 17 years, Hamas made enemies everywhere. If idiosyncratic similar Abu Shabab tin rally those forces, that could beryllium the opening of the extremity for us."

As Gaza is plunged further into lawlessness, with full neighbourhoods descending into pack rule, Hamas finds itself not conscionable nether Israeli occurrence but progressively surrounded by rivals from within.