Hamas establishes police force to combat claimed aid robberies, reestablish control of Gaza

Following reports of humanitarian aid looting in Gaza by heavily armed groups, Hamas has executed a number of looters it accused of being involved in the theft. 

Hamas sources also told the Palestinian Safa news agency, which is associated with the terror organization, that the “thefts and chaos in the Gaza Strip are a dangerous plot orchestrated and coordinated by order of the Israeli occupation.” 

The terror group claimed that several of the looters admitted to collaborating with Israel during interrogations saying they had received instructions from Israeli intelligence. 

The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Interior accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of killing a police officer and wounding several others who were chasing after looters. 

“We will strike with an iron fist all these renegades, and we will take the necessary measures to deter them, no matter the cost, and we will not allow them to continue terrorizing citizens, threatening their lives, and stealing their property,” the ministry said in a statement released on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources have reported that Hamas is imposing curfews to restrict the looting. 

Safa also reported that Hamas has re-established a special police unit, called the “Executive Force” which was originally established in 2006 to seize weapons from clan groups and crime families. The force was established while Hamas was part of the Palestinian Authority government, and was declared to be illegal following the Hamas coup in Gaza in 2007, in which Hamas forces killed many of their political enemies and seized control of the enclave. 

According to the Hamas source who spoke to Safa, “The force will immediately start dealing with gangs of thugs and thieves, agents of the occupation, who recently tried to cause chaos by robbing some aid stores and attacking citizens' shops and properties.” 

The source continued that “the force is authorized to take all necessary measures to establish security and order, including the use of excessive force in dealing in the field with uncontrolled gangs.” 

🚨BREAKING: Hamas is reconstituting its Executive Force, according to the source—an estimated 5,000 members—tasked, as they claim, with “maintaining security,” “preventing chaos,” and “restoring order and stability.”

This Executive Force was originally established in 2006 by… pic.twitter.com/ZbJAqnTYCp

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) May 4, 2025

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority-affiliated Fatah has accused Hamas of carrying out the looting and then blaming it on “armed gangs” in order to have an excuse to crack down on the residents of Gaza and reimpose Hamas control of the Strip. 

Former Gaza residents and online critics of Hamas have also corroborated accounts of the group violently enforcing its rule in the enclave.

Hamas's militias have announced that three Gaza residents will soon be slaughtered with knives for allegedly "collaborating with Israel." Others will have their limbs hacked off with blades for supposed "theft." This isn’t law. It’s barbarism — the rule of knives and fear.

Since… pic.twitter.com/01tO6ESijY

— Hamza (@HowidyHamza) May 4, 2025

Palestinian activist Amjad Abu Koush, who is a supporter of the Palestinian Authority, uploaded a video in Arabic accusing Hamas of carrying out the operations, saying that only Hamas has the weapons and means to carry out the large-scale raids, which included many men wear scarves over their faces, carrying Kalashnikovs (a type of automatic rifle), and driving large vehicles. 

The looting came amidst several anti-Hamas demonstrations in the Gaza Strip, complaining of the lack of food and blaming Hamas for the situation.

Intelligent and informative as always, Amjad Abu Koush weighs in on this subject. Well worth investing 6 minutes, IMHO.

[My apologies that this is AI translation. It's not bad though, with only a few glitches. You'll understand his point]https://t.co/XGg4t1VrzQ pic.twitter.com/pj3YU7oq1S

— Imshin (@imshin) May 5, 2025

During a recent tour for journalists in southern Israel, Brig. Gen. (res.) Oren Solomon, the former head of the Security Doctrine and Use of Force in the National Security Council, shared his assessment that Hamas is still in full control of much of Gaza. 

“Hamas is an organization that operates under full command and control,” Solomon told the journalists. He also said that the organization has been able to recruit thousands of new operatives in the past few months, especially during the recent ceasefire. 

Solomon also stated that Hamas does not consider itself to be defeated, saying the group is still planning further attacks against Israel, hoping to wear out Israel and delay until the army and the public become tired of fighting. 

Solomon affirmed the need for the IDF to expand its operations in Gaza and ultimately defeat the Hamas terror organization.