FIRST ON FOX: With Hamas reportedly regrouping and re-establishing control in parts of Gaza, a nascent collection of Palestinian militias claims to be organizing an alternative power within the enclave. Shawqi Abu Nasira, one of their leaders, informed Fox News Digital that the cessation of hostilities has provided a “kiss of life” for Hamas, cautioning that the group is rebuilding its capabilities.
“Hamas serves Iran’s interests,” he stated. “While they were indeed weakened, the ceasefire has revitalized them, allowing them to better prepare and re-equip themselves. They are also establishing new centers,” he further remarked, “I commend President Trump for freezing Hamas’s assets and designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist entity.”
Abu Nasira, a former high-ranking Palestinian Authority police officer who previously spent 16 years incarcerated in an Israeli prison, now leads a small contingent of combatants east of Gaza’s “yellow line,” in an area presently under Israeli military control. “I relocated to the east of the yellow line, into the territory currently held by the Israeli Army. My displacement was unavoidable; I had no choice but to escape Hamas,” he explained.
Jusoor, a pan-Arab media outlet that recently launched an English-language channel covering Gaza, reported that Abu Nasira’s break from Hamas originated years prior, when the group murdered his only son and “paraded his body through the Strip.” He conveyed to Jusoor that the slaying and public exhibition of his son’s body cemented his resolve to resist Hamas.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Abu Nasira conceded that his faction remains modest in size. “Currently, I lead dozens of fighters,” he stated. “We are significantly under-equipped and require enhanced support.” However, he asserted that a large segment of the Gazan population shares his perspective. “Those now residing in tents, suffering from starvation, living on the streets without access to medication—these individuals do not desire Hamas’s rule,” he emphasized.
The ceasefire period has revealed a complex tapestry of militias, tribal groups, and localized networks that have surfaced as Hamas’s control diminished. While none currently match Hamas in scale or operational capacity, several distinct factions have become more prominent.
Among these are the Popular Forces in Rafah, the Popular Army in northern Gaza, the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force in Khan Yunis, and the Shujaiya Popular Defense Forces in eastern Gaza City, alongside influential clan-based networks like the al-Majayda and Doghmosh families. Their allegiances are fluid, and their organizational structures diverse, yet all have either formed or gained strength amidst the collapse of centralized governance.
Abu Nasira affirmed that many of these factions maintain communication. “They are our brothers and sisters,” he declared. “All these individuals are armed and fighting for a valid reason: they were direct witnesses to Hamas’s terrorism and have been its victims.”
He indicated that initial endeavors are in progress to unify these factions. “We are coordinating all these groups to operate under a single political umbrella, allowing them to function as a National Guard for East Gaza,” he explained.
Abu Nasira contended that Palestinians, rather than external entities, ought to be responsible for ousting Hamas from Gaza. “As Palestinians, we are now capable of doing this ourselves,” he asserted. “We merely require support to prevail in this conflict, which we believe can be concluded within a few months.”
He dismissed the notion that Gazans would be intimidated by accusations of collaboration. “To oppose Hamas is to risk being labeled an operative or facing execution,” he stated. “Everyone in Gaza is aware of this, so such threats will no longer deter us.”
In a message directed at Americans, Abu Nasira emphasized that the implications extend beyond Gaza. “This threat represents a campaign that we all should combat,” he urged. “It possesses the potential to expand from Gaza globally.”
He characterized Hamas as an element within a larger network. “So long as the triumvirate of Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iran are operating in concert, it poses a menace to the entire human, civilized world,” he declared.
He dismissed a specific concept, described as envisioning the creation of functioning civilian zones east of the yellow line to gradually exert pressure on Hamas. “While this sounds like a positive idea, it is a long-term approach,” he commented. “We shouldn’t afford them the time to regain strength.”
With Hamas reportedly consolidating its power during the ceasefire, Abu Nasira stated that Palestinians “are prepared” and “wish to contend for our future,” asserting that a unified alternative remains achievable with global support.