Report: Hamas reestablishes internal security force amid growing chaos in Gaza

Palestinian news outlet Safa reports that Hamas’s interior ministry has reestablished a unit called the “Executive Force,” aimed at restoring order in the Gaza Strip.

The force originally operated in 2006, during the period when Hamas was part of the Palestinian Authority government, and functioned under PA security structures.

Following Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007, the Palestinian Authority declared the force illegal, and Hamas later dismantled it.

According to the report, approximately 5,000 Hamas operatives have now been integrated into the newly reestablished force, which is tasked with “restoring order and stability and acting against gangs of thieves and collaborators with Israel.”

While Hamas has not officially confirmed the report, a news outlet affiliated with the organization republishes the Safa article.

In recent days, reports from Gaza have described a rise in incidents of theft and looting. One likely contributing factor is the worsening food shortage in the Strip, now entering its third month under a complete Israeli ban on the entry of humanitarian aid.