Hussam al-Astal, the leader of a militia battling Hamas in the Khan Younis area, tells The Times of Israel that despite the ceasefire and the return of Hamas members openly patrolling the streets, his militia will continue fighting them.
“We will fight Hamas until it is finished, not us. We are here and we are not moving,” he says.
“If Hamas were truly present, if it had power, they wouldn’t come out in civilian clothes and masked,” he says, referring to the footage of the operatives returning to the streets published by Hamas-affiliated media over the past day. “They are afraid. Five or ten people came out in one place, filmed themselves, just to show they are around. Why? Because they are finished and they know it.”
In a video he sent to journalists earlier, al-Astal emphasized that all the rumors Hamas has spread about killing members of militias fighting against it are false.
He also urged Gaza residents not to fear Hamas, saying: “There will be no second Hamas.”
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