As the dust settled over Gaza following a long-awaited ceasefire and the release of 20 Israeli hostages, a new and brutal chapter began for the enclave’s battered residents. What should have been a moment of relief quickly turned into a nightmare, as Hamas militants, determined to reassert their authority, unleashed a wave of violence against rivals and suspected collaborators. The dramatic scenes unfolded in the days immediately after October 13, 2025, with masked gunmen from Hamas’s notorious Arrow Unit storming the streets, carrying out executions, and clashing with powerful local clans.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, the Arrow Unit—an internal security force composed of police, trained militants, and volunteers—has become infamous for its aggressive tactics and public displays of violence. Videos that surfaced on social media over the weekend showed these masked men, clad in Hamas’s signature green headbands, lining up bound and blindfolded prisoners in Gaza City’s Al-Sabra neighborhood. The executions, witnessed by cheering crowds, were a chilling message to any who might challenge Hamas’s grip on power. As research analyst Joe Truzman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies explained, “With the ceasefire in effect, Hamas is severely weakened. It must assert power by targeting its rivals and those who have allegedly gone against the so-called ‘resistance’ during the war. Hamas intends to stay the dominant power in Gaza. It is doing this by exacting violence on the population. It’s a recipe for a brutal crackdown in the Gaza Strip, and the recently published videos are an example of that.”
The violence was particularly fierce against the Doghmush clan, one of Gaza’s most heavily armed and influential families. Reports from Ynet and Shafaq News indicate that at least 52 members of the Doghmush clan were killed in confrontations with Hamas’s internal security forces, while 12 Hamas fighters—including the son of senior official Bassem Naim—also died in the clashes. Witnesses described Hamas gunmen using ambulances to infiltrate the clan’s neighborhood, a tactic that drew sharp criticism for endangering civilians. The Doghmush clan, which has openly opposed Hamas in recent days, was accused by the group of collaborating with Israel—a charge that carried a death sentence as the Arrow Unit swept through their territory.
Hamas’s “deterrent force” issued a statement on October 13, 2025, declaring that it was “carrying out broad security operations across Gaza, arresting suspected ‘collaborators,’ anti-militia members, and criminals.” These so-called sweep-and-arrest operations were not limited to Gaza City but extended to central and southern parts of the Strip. The violence, as reported by the Financial Times, came alongside a stark ultimatum: all rival factions were ordered to lay down their weapons within 48 hours and surrender their leaders, or face the consequences.
For many ordinary Gazans, the supposed peace brought by the hostages’ release and the U.S.-brokered ceasefire quickly gave way to fear and uncertainty. One resident, speaking anonymously to Fox News Digital, captured the mood on the ground: “You cannot say the war is finished. We have to wait a few weeks to see what happens. There are gangs in Gaza now; Hamas is trying to fight them. If they don’t unify, another war could start.” The sense of exhaustion and longing for calm was palpable, but so too was the anxiety about what the future might hold.
Political analyst Mukhaimar Abu Saada, also speaking to Fox News Digital, emphasized the deep roots of the challenge ahead. Disarming Hamas, he said, “won’t happen quickly. We’re talking about an ideological organization. Even last night, people were killed in clashes between Hamas and local militias. It’s not a rosy road.” Abu Saada noted that Hamas had issued an ultimatum to suspected collaborators—giving them until October 19 to surrender and seek amnesty, provided they had not participated in killings. “They’re still strong,” he acknowledged. “Part of the reason they didn’t fight harder in the last days is that they saved some men and weapons for the day after. I still see Hamas police in the streets of Gaza.”
The broader context is no less complicated. The ceasefire and release of hostages were part of a U.S.-mediated plan, championed by President Donald Trump, who declared in Israel’s Knesset on October 13, “the war is over.” The arrangement envisions a transition away from Hamas rule in Gaza, with disarmament as a central pillar. Yet, as Abu Saada pointed out, “No Arab country will give a single dollar if Hamas doesn’t disarm. Rebuilding Gaza depends on Hamas no longer being in control. The war is over, but the real test is only beginning.”
Despite Trump’s optimism and the celebrations in Israel, many in Gaza remain skeptical. “Hamas is not strong like before. Those who remain are mostly police—not the real Hamas people who believe in their extremist jihadist ideology,” said another Gazan. “We have to watch what happens next and see if they rebuild.” Others voiced hope for a better future but admitted that “nothing is clear.” The uncertainty was echoed by experts in Washington, who described Hamas as being in “the most militarily and diplomatically isolated place it has ever been.” Jacob Olidort, director of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital that “all of Israel’s regional partners are eager to normalize and build on where they left off prior to Oct 7.”
The next phase, as outlined by Olidort and other analysts, will be shaped by the upcoming Sharm el-Sheikh summit—a pivotal moment for the region. The summit is expected to address the thorny issues of Hamas disarmament and the deployment of a stabilization force, steps seen as essential for Gaza’s reconstruction and long-term peace. But as Ahmad Sharawi of the FDD observed, “Hamas is now settling scores in Gaza. After two years of war, its terrorists have crawled out of their tunnels to confront those who opposed them. We’ve seen clans and armed militias challenge the group’s rule and its decision to bring devastation to the coastal enclave. Yet this moment reveals that Hamas still intends to keep its weapons, a reality that must be addressed with clear benchmarks and enforcement mechanisms when phase two negotiations on disarmament begin.”
The violence unleashed by Hamas following the ceasefire has not only deepened the suffering of Gaza’s civilian population but also raised urgent questions about the territory’s future. Will the international community succeed in enforcing disarmament and ushering in a new era of stability? Or will the cycle of power struggles and bloodshed continue to haunt Gaza? For now, the people of Gaza find themselves caught between hope and dread, waiting to see whether the promise of peace will finally take hold—or slip once again through their fingers.