by Itamar Marcus
Israel's assertion that it must conquer Gaza City or Hamas will reassert control over the entire Gaza Strip was once again reconfirmed by Hamas' murder of an anti-Hamas clan leader.
Hamas' executions and arrests of Gazans show it still rules Gaza
Despite the world's wishful thinking, unless Hamas is defeated militarily, it will maintain civil and military control in Gaza
Israel's assertion that it must conquer Gaza City or Hamas will reassert control over the entire Gaza Strip was once again reconfirmed by Hamas' murder of an anti-Hamas clan leader.
Last week, Hamas demonstrated its continued control by murdering a powerful rival Palestinian leader. The mukhtar (clan head) of the Abu Samra family, Ahmad Abu Samra, a Fatah sheikh from Deir al-Balah, was gunned down by Hamas terrorists.
The murder followed a deadly cycle of violence: Hamas first shot Abdulrahman Sha'aban Abu Samra as he stood in line for flour, in violation of a Hamas dictate. In retaliation, the Abu Samra clan killed a Hamas member. Hamas then responded by assassinating the clan's leader.
Hamas openly boasted about the killing, releasing this statement:
"Fatah sheikh Ahmad Abu Samra met his end today, praise be to Allah, five months after his vile crime of murdering the Martyr, [Hamas] police officer Ibrahim Shaldan, in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. May the rest of the spies meet the same fate soon."
[Ibn Al-Khalil (Hamas-affiliated), Telegram channel, August 30, 2025]
By proudly claiming responsibility and promising more executions, Hamas made clear that anyone in Gaza who dares to oppose its authority will be eliminated. This is more than clan warfare. It is the systematic suppression of all clans that won't submit to Hamas' dictates.
A Powerless Palestinian Authority
While Hamas consolidates its rule through executions, the Palestinian Authority once again shows complete impotence. It cannot protect even its own military as the clan leader was also an officer in the PA Security Services. Instead, the PA and Fatah issue strong statements blaming Israel, but have no real force to back it up.
Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades posted: "A short time ago – a Hamas militia killed the mukhtar of the Abu Samra family in Deir al-Balah.
Due to this act by the Hamas militia, the city of Deir al-Balah, which the occupation has not [yet] entered, will be destroyed as a result of pursuits and clashes between the Abu Samra family and what is left of the Hamas militia.
This is what Hamas and Netanyahu want. The beginning of the end."
[Panthers of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Telegram channel, August 30, 2025]
Fatah posted: "We utterly condemn the heinous murder of the mukhtar of the Abu Samra clan in the Gaza Strip, perpetrated by members of what is known as Hamas' 'Arrow Unit.'.. We also stress that the blood of our people not be shed in vain and that our people at home and abroad remain united against all attempts at anarchy and fratricide, from which only the occupation benefits."
[Sons of the Homeland (Fatah), Telegram channel, August 30, 2025]
This murder is indicative of complete Hamas rule in all parts of Gaza not conquered by Israel. Yesterday, PMW published an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post quoting the head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate:
Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate Chairman Nasser Abu Bakr: "In this entire war, there are indeed attacks against journalists. We are monitoring and recording daily attacks by the Hamas Movement, and the 'Arrow Battalion' or something. It is a known group that belongs to Hamas that attacks journalists, arrests journalists in hospitals, in institutions. I don't want to specify details. Out of our concern for the Palestinian national situation, we don't talk much about it."
[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, July 21, 2025]
Hamas murders, arrests, and attacks at will, confirming that it will not give up power unless Israel defeats it militarily.
World leaders have naively and irresponsibly called for ending the war without Hamas' defeat. On August 8, the foreign ministers of Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom called for a "political resolution" that would leave Hamas undefeated in Gaza, yet somehow exclude Hamas from governance: "A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarization of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role."
Yet, the PA knows that Hamas remains far more popular than Fatah and thus the PA leadership is constantly reminding its people that it will include Hamas in a future government.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "If Hamas wants to be part of the Palestinian national fabric - and it is part of it, and we cannot take that away from it. But if it wants to be a partner in the Palestinian decision-making, it must commit to the PLO's plan. There can be no weapons other than the weapons of the legitimate national bodies."
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash, YouTube channel, July 30, 2025]
The Western leaders who push for ending the war immediately are not only naïve but also serve as Hamas' shield. Hamas will continue to refuse to release hostages and give up its arms even facing Israel's impending military campaign to destroy it. The international pressure gives Hamas hope that Israel will be forced to surrender.
Conclusion
The assassination of Abu Samra, along with the daily attacks and arrests of journalists, reconfirms the stark reality: Hamas will continue to rule until Israel conquers its final power base in Gaza City. International calls to halt the war empower Hamas to continue to fight. Only when Hamas sees that the Western world stands behind an Israeli invasion of Gaza City will Hamas even consider ending the war and releasing the hostages on Israel's and the Western world's terms.
Itamar Marcus
Source: https://palwatch.org/page/41475
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