Hamas has succeeded in deterring Gaza's clans. By Ahmed Fouad Alkhteb

Hamas has succeeded in deterring Gaza's clans and prominent families from acting in any way that undermines the group's de jure control as a governing entity. Recently, Hamas killed a significant figure in a large clan in Northern Gaza, claiming that this man and his followers were stealing aid and terrorizing the local population – while some reports believe it was due to his willingness to work with the IDF in distributing aid. Hamas explicitly and clearly warned any clan that works with the Israeli military to expect bullets to the head, labeling any form of engagement with the IDF as collaboration with the enemy. Even when the UN approached clan figures in recent days, they refused to cooperate in distributing aid to desperate civilians in Northern Gaza, arguing that they don’t want to replace the government of Gaza (in reference to Hamas) and that they don’t intend to take on a role, which they know will put them in the crosshairs of Hamas’s thugs and militias. Hamas's intelligence and counterintelligence teams have unleashed their cyber warriors to warn against treason and betrayal by clans who would cooperate with the enemy or seek to sideline the "resistance" in Gaza.

It is important to note that the way clans operate in Gaza does not make them suitable alternatives to a governing body or entity. Their "Mukhtars" or senior figureheads mainly act as mediators in disputes and help maintain civil peace between different groups and factions in the large clan spheres and spaces. Most of these large families are “native” Gazans; as in, they’re not considered 1948 refugees (30 percent of Gazans are labeled "native" - with the Strip being their ancestral origin). Gaza’s clans, such as Dogmosh, Helles, Shawwa, Sweerky, Attallah, Abdel-Aal, Mushtaha, Sager, Abu Amra, and many others, have different forms of power and influence and are prominent in various sectors of Gazan society. They have more money, land, and resources than average families in the coastal enclave, and have had essential roles in governance and political factions. They also tend to have large stockpiles of munitions and arms (not ones used in “resistance” acts against Israel but strictly for internal purposes) that they’ve used in their fights and disputes with others.

Ironically, clans used to be a major part of Gaza’s internal instability during the days when the Palestinian Authority ruled. I remember vividly widespread armed clashes that the Palestinian police were powerless to stop. It was Hamas that reigned in those clans and violently/robustly crushed their thuggery and clipped most of their wings, ensuring almost complete obedience and compliance with the Islamist group’s rule. Part of Hamas’s popularity in Gaza actually stemmed from the group’s ability to force and institute law and order upon clans due to its iron grip that established a monopoly on violence. Unfortunately, even as Hamas has lost its administrative grip on most of Gaza during the current war, its deterrence, and ability to keep many in check remains somewhat intact, particularly as more Gazans believe Hamas will survive this war. This belief is why so many are afraid to speak out against the group or rebel against its rule - something to think about when you hear people asking, "Why don't Gazans revolt against Hamas?".

This means that, for the most part, neither the UN nor the Israeli military are going to effectively or sustainably be able to rely on clans as part of a day-after scheme. The only realistic provisional/transitional way to safely distribute aid is to allow an Arab peacekeeping with a clear use-of-force mandate to enter Gaza and institute the barest resemblance of law and order. This force can stabilize the Strip, pending the development of a capable Palestinian security apparatus made up mostly of Gazans to assume complete control and have a monopoly on violence. With appropriate economic & financial incentives, Jordan and Egypt are immensely capable players with deep cultural ties to the Palestinians, who can form the initial nucleus of this force.