A number of reports published since the start of the war in Gaza suggest Israel is considering giving control of the Strip to Gazan clans present in the area after the end of the war. These important and armed families have a large say in the Palestinian public, and even control parts of the Strip.
Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to try and cooperate with them, it’ll be hard to find those who will be willing to announce doing so publicly. These are Gaza’s main clans, and how likely they are to collaborate with Israel.
The clan that became a symbol
The Doghmush clan is considered one of the largest families in the Gaza Strip. Most of its members reside in Gaza’s Al-Sabra neighborhood and are affiliated with both Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian factions. The family also supports the Army of Islam group, a small organization affiliated with the global Al-Qaeda terror organization led by one of the family members, Mumtaz Doghmush.
One of the major clashes between the can and the terror organization took place shortly after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip. On September 15, 2008, Hamas security forces attempted to arrest several clan members in the Al-Sabra neighborhood. Violent clashes erupted between the two sides, with heavy firefights including various types of weapons and missiles.
The clan lost 11 of its members and 46 others were injured in the clashes. One Hamas police officer was killed and another was injured. Fatah condemned Hamas’s actions and claimed it carried out a “massacre” against the Doghmush family, many of whom are affiliated with the movement.
Two weeks ago, Hamas executed the clan’s head, in what was considered to be a harsh message for the rest of the clans in Gaza after it was reported the leader allegedly had contact with Israeli authorities.
The clan that nearly fled the Strip
The Hilles clan is a veteran family and is considered to be the third-largest clan in the Gaza Strip. Many commanders of various units and factions in the Gaza Strip belong, or belonged, to the family. According to Dr. Ahmed Hilles, many family members live close to the Gaza border, east of the Gaza City.
Most of the clan’s youth are affiliated with the Fatah movement. Some family members reached the movement’s forefront including Ahmed Hilles (Abu Maher) – Fatah’s secretary in the Gaza Strip, Suleiman Hilles - one of the heads of Gaza’s national security forces before Hamas’s coup, and Atef Hilles – who was in charge of private security in the Palestinian Preventive Security.
Given the clan’s extensive activity in the Fatah movement, it also became embroiled in clashes with Hamas after the terrorist organization seized control of the Gaza Strip. In 2008, Hamas police officers and members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades surrounded the Shijaiyah neighborhood. Hamas terrorists opened fire in the area resulting in over 12 casualties, including two Hamas members, and 80 others injured.
Hamas claimed the reason for the clashes was due to attempted arrests of clan members the terror group said were connected with an explosion in Gaza that killed at least five Hamas terrorists – which the family denied. Following the battle, dozens of the clan’s members fled to the West Bank.
Clans that didn’t fight Hamas
The al-Masri and Kafarna families are among the largest clans in the Gaza Strip and are similar in their strength to the Hilles and Doghmush clans. However, they didn’t engage in clashes with Hamas or with Fatah.
Although both families didn’t fight Hamas, they had an intense ongoing blood feud. A member of the Kafarna family, residing mainly in the Beit Hanoun area in the northern Gaza Strip, was murdered by a member of the al-Masri family. Battles between them ended only after the intervention of the Palestinian Scholars Association.
The clan pushing to head the Palestinian Authority
Another prominent clan in the Gaza Strip is the Dahlan family, which is considered one of the smaller families in terms of size and influence in the Strip. According to Gaza journalist Mohammed Shaheen, it only made headlines after former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan came to power.
According to Shaheen, the Dahlan family is insignificant compared to Gaza’s other clans. Although Dahlan was ousted from Fatah, the family still supports him and sees him as a national figure. They also work to promote him as a presidential candidate for the Palestinian Authority, currently headed by Mahmoud Abbas.
Between Hamas and Israel
Palestinian journalists disagree about how much influence the clans hold in the Gaza Strip, especially after the ongoing war ends, with the main point coming down to their weapon caches. According to Palestinian Center For Communication head Fatah Hatab, the clans still own well-hidden weapon caches away from Hamas’s knowledge.
On the other hand, journalist Mohammed Shaheen pointed out that the weapons the clans currently own are those of its members active in Palestinian factions associated with Hamas.
The topic of cooperation with Israel is also complex. At least two well-known clans had contacts with Israeli authorities, though won’t officially admit to it. According to Arab media, some families acknowledge the IDF approached them to assist in securing and distributing humanitarian aid.