(Adnkronos) – Hamas has lost control of about 80 percent of the Gaza Strip. This was stated by a senior Hamas security official on condition of anonymity to the BBC, explaining that the void is being filled by armed clans supported by Israel, which are present “everywhere”. The Hamas official, who was injured in the first week of the war with Israel and left his post for health reasons, said the group’s command and control system had collapsed due to Israeli attacks that devastated the political, military and security leadership.
“We are realistic: there is almost nothing left of the security structure. Most of the leaders, about 95 percent, are now dead. The active figures have all been killed,” he said. “So what’s stopping Israel from continuing this war?”, he wondered, stating that ”logically, it will continue to the end. All the conditions are there: Israel has the upper hand, the world is silent, the Arab regimes are silent, criminal gangs are everywhere, society is collapsing”.
According to the senior Hamas official, the group attempted to reorganize during the 57-day ceasefire with Israel earlier this year, particularly the political, military and security councils. But since Israel ended the truce in March, Hamas’ remaining command structures have been targeted. “Regarding security, I want to be clear: it has completely collapsed. Completely destroyed. There is no longer control anywhere,” he said. “People looted Hamas’ most powerful security apparatus (Ansar), the complex Hamas used to rule Gaza,” he continued. “They looted everything, offices, mattresses, even zinc panels, and no one intervened. No police, no security,” he explained.
One of the armed clans that could replace Hamas is the one led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a figure who has attracted the attention of the Palestinian National Authority and regional actors, particularly after Israel confirmed it was supplying him with weapons.
