"There's hardly anything remaining of the security structure," he said. "Most of the leadership, about 95 per cent, have died now. All of the "classical figures have become inactive in death." The officer said it was "a situation of total collapse — no policing [was] there, nor any authority in control of the area.
The war was launched on 7 October 2023 following a Hamas-led attack on Israel. Israeli airstrikes have since decimated Hamas's military, political and security wings. While it used a 57-day cessation in the fighting earlier this year to reorganise, that effort was significantly weakened by Israeli operations since March against those remaining structures.
Anarchy, Desperation and Fear in Gaza
The officer described a gloomy picture of life in Gaza on a daily basis, with mafia gangs and armed clans currently in control. He also illustrated how the police and security forces had not attempted to prevent civilians from looting the former Hamas stronghold, the Ansar security complex. "We took mattresses, office things, even zinc panels," he said. "No one intervened."
Now there are robberies, beatings and even killings at the hands of local gangs, who go about with impunity, he said. "Whoever tried to organise resistance against the thieves, Israel bombed them less than half an hour later," he said.
For those left behind, salaries for what remains of the Hamas staffing are frequently withheld or worthless, and there are reports that people even die trying to collect them. "All the general state, it's total collapse," he said.
In one of the most recent illustrations of how increasingly unstable Gaza has become, at least 18 people died on 26 June in an Israeli drone strike on Hamas's internal police forces. These plainclothes officers, it was reported, had attempted to regain control of a market in Deir al-Balah, where they accused vendors of looting aid and raising prices.
Emerging strength of Abu Shabab, armed clans
Into the chaos have sprung six new armed factions, all linked to local clans and mostly based in southern Gaza. Among the most prominent is Yasser Abu Shabab, a local leader who is gradually attracting interest from the Palestinian Authority, regional powers and even Israel.
Israel acknowledged last month providing Abu Shabab with weapons as it saw a potential rival to Hamas. Hamas has reportedly put a price on his head, fearing that he may emerge as a unifying figure for its adversaries. "If Hamas gunmen capture him, they could attack him instead of Israeli tanks," the officer cautioned.
Abu Shabab, reports indicate, is in discussions with various armed groups to create a joint leadership council that would seek to replace Hamas. He is also suspected of contacting Palestinian intelligence and providing reassurances to Egyptian authorities through relatives in Sinai.
Abu Shabab is being closely watched by several actors, said a retired Palestinian security official who lives in Cairo and asked not to be named to avoid retaliation: "He's like an orphaned child who everyone will want to adopt if he succeeds in undermining Hamas rule."
The group also has links to a rival faction of former Gaza security chief Mohammad Dahlan, who was exiled following a row with President Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas' Fate in Gaza Up in the Air
Hamas's biggest worry, the security officer concluded, is less the battlefield and its losses there than internal rivals like Abu Shabab. "For 17 years, Hamas created enemies everywhere. If someone like Abu Shabab is able to mobilise these forces, it would spell the beginning of the end for us," he added.
As Gaza continues deteriorating into lawlessness, with the police force in shambles and authority splintering among rival factions, Hamas is under attack on three fronts: Israeli military strikes, mounting public clamour and new rivals in its own territory.
