Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said Tuesday its so-called Radea security force had “dealt a severe blow” to an armed group in Gaza it accuses of collaborating with Israel.
In a statement, Hamas said its Radea security force carried out an “operation early Tuesday morning in the southern Gaza Strip, targeting the militia of fugitive Yasser Abu Shabab”.
Hamas added that it arrested “a number of members” of Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces group during the operation and confiscated “military equipment and tools used in their subversive activities”.
The statement added that the operation was carried out “as part of the ongoing deterrence operation against dens of treason”.
Hamas recently established the Radea unit, whose name translates to “deterrence” and whose purpose it says is to “enforce order”.
Clashes broke out early last week in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood between the Radea force and several armed groups, including that of Yasser Abu Shabab, which Hamas accuses of looting and receiving weapons from Israel.
Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces originally started operating in Gaza’s southern Rafah governorate and was accused of aid looting.
In July, Abu Shabab said his group was able to move freely in zones under Israeli military control and communicated their operations beforehand.
Israeli authorities themselves acknowledged in June that they had armed Palestinian gangs opposed to Hamas, without directly naming the one led by Abu Shabab.
Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 10, the movement has sought to reassert its presence on the ground and reaffirm its control over the devastated Palestinian enclave.
Last week, Hamas’ official television channel broadcast images of what it said was an execution of eight “collaborators”, shot in front of a crowd in a Gaza City street.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that the war in Gaza would not be over until Hamas disarms as the US-brokered ceasefire deal stipulates.
Hamas has not directly addressed the issue since US President Donald Trump presented the plan two weeks ago.
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© Agence France-Presse
