Hamas Builds Clan Network to Maintain Control of Gaza Civilians

Reports say Hamas has moved to systematically strengthen ties with Gaza’s clans and local leadership structures to preserve control over civilian life. It is said to promote figures connected to the group into clan councils and into roles such as “muktars,” alongside appointments in neighborhood committees inside refugee camps and displaced persons’ tent villages. Sources describe benefits and dispute-management support as ways to increase dependence, while committee members report back to Hamas and help shape daily governance. The reports frame this as part of preventing “anarchy” and limiting opposition influence.