The leader of a prominent anti-Hamas clan in Gaza has appealed for international assistance as Hamas reasserts control over the Strip following the recent ceasefire. Hossam al-Astal, head of the al-Majida clan militia based in Khan Younis, released a video message on Thursday thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in brokering the ceasefire but calling for further action to “protect Gazans from Hamas’s terror.”
Al-Astal warned that Hamas had launched a sweeping campaign to eliminate rival groups and punish families accused of collaboration with Israel during the recent fighting. According to reports from local sources, Hamas security forces have conducted raids across multiple neighborhoods in Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City, targeting territories controlled or populated by clans known to have supported Israeli military operations.
On October 12th—just one day after the ceasefire went into effect—Hamas fighters reportedly stormed the Doghmosh clan’s compounds in Gaza City. The ensuing gun battle left at least 52 clan members killed or wounded. The following day, Hamas publicly executed seven men accused of providing intelligence or logistical support to Israel during the war.
Earlier this month, during the height of the fighting, the al-Majida clan in Khan Younis engaged in a prolonged gun battle with Hamas forces. Israeli drones and helicopters intervened to assist the clan—the first publicly known instance of Israel directly providing battlefield support to Gaza-based collaborator groups. Reports from that time stated that several wounded al-Majida fighters were evacuated by Israeli aircraft for treatment inside Israel.
Just before the ceasefire was finalized, Israeli military officials reportedly informed allied militias that they would not receive protection once Israeli forces withdrew from contested areas. Members of Yasser Abu Shabab’s militia in Rafah fled before the ceasefire took effect and are now believed to be operating behind the “Yellow Line,” the boundary marking Israel’s new forward positions in southern Gaza.