By Tghreed Saadeh
Sources close to Hamas in Gaza told “Zaytoun News” that the movement is going through an unprecedented stage of political, financial, and popular decline, noting that internal divisions could undermine what remains of its organizational cohesion. The sources added that the remaining structure of the movement is “minimal,” amid the erosion of its field influence, the assassination of most of its leaders, and the decline of its popular presence following the recent war.
According to these sources, the internal dispute revolves around the issue of disarming. Khaled Meshaal leads a faction advocating for the necessity of handing over weapons in response to continuous Qatari pressures calling on the movement to adopt a more flexible political stance. In contrast, Khalil al-Hayya and other leaders continue to maneuver on this issue, maintaining a position rejecting any step that could be interpreted as abandoning “resistance.”
The sources further explained that Hamas’s military council, which included six of its most prominent leaders, Mohammed Deif, Mohammed al-Sinwar, Ayman Nofal, and Marwan Issa, has effectively disbanded following the assassination of most of its members by the Israeli occupation, leaving only Ezzedine Haddad and Raed Saad.
Movement cadres indicate that Gaza residents did not know these leaders by name or appearance, raising questions about how the occupation accurately identified them, and conversely, how some survived despite intense pursuit.
Regarding the so-called “Arrow Unit” within the Al-Qassam Brigades, internal sources noted that this unit was established by Mohammed al-Sinwar following internal elections that led to Yahya al-Sinwar assuming leadership of the movement on March 10, 2021. The unit consisted of around 500 members trained under the pretext of protection against any external attack, but the actual goal, according to the sources, was to protect Yahya al-Sinwar from any internal coup attempt. Accounts suggest that the unit’s formation came after election results initially favored Nizar Awadallah, before the Qassam wing ultimately secured the outcome in favor of Yahya al-Sinwar with the support of his brother Mohammed.
After Mohammed al-Sinwar’s assassination, the “Arrow Unit” disbanded, though its name continued to be used by a faction within the movement to justify its grip on power and security control.
Amid these developments, Hamas, which has long appeared strong in the media, seems to be at its weakest state since its founding. The “Al-Aqsa Flood,” once considered a symbolic moment of victory, has turned into a deep point of fracture in its political and military structure. The sources indicate that the apparent tight control over Gaza is largely a media attempt to maintain the image of a strong organization, while the field reality reflects its eroding influence and transformation into scattered remnants.
The sources believe that the Israeli occupation continues to exaggerate Hamas’s capabilities in an attempt to justify ongoing military operations, its presence in the Gaza Strip, and, crucially, to maintain a manufactured threat to Israel. Although the movement now practically has only two difficult options, either transforming into a political entity gradually abandoning weapons and seeking new legitimacy through civil work, or persisting with maneuvering and hardline approaches to preserve the image of “resistance”—in both cases, Hamas today faces a comprehensive redefinition of its role and future in the Palestinian scene, having lost a significant part of its power and legitimacy. Most importantly, its internal decision-making independence is now hostage to complex regional dynamics, with Qatar and Turkey exerting direct influence over the movement’s path and choices. This was evident in statements by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in attempts to pressure Hamas to acknowledge the need for disarmament, or as part of an American strategy preventing territorial cohesion among Palestinian lands and hindering the establishment of a Palestinian state.
24 Total Count
