Armed clans in Gaza: A political minefield Israel is waiting to clear
A security source stated that the activity of Bedouin clans against Hamas is "very effective and proceeding according to plan." However, Walla has learned that senior officials of the Peace Council, with US backing, want the clans disarmed on "the day after." Sources warn this could drive them back to smuggling.
Opinions are divided within the security establishment regarding the future of the armed Bedouin clans operating in several sectors throughout the Gaza Strip against the security interests of Hamas. According to reports from security sources, at their peak, they fought against the military wing of Hamas and inflicted significant casualties. Since the ceasefire, they have been assisting in securing the "yellow line" and the area to its west, as well as locating weaponry and terrorist infrastructure above and below ground.
"The activity of the anti-Hamas clans is intimate, kept in the shadows, and that is a good thing. It is very effective and is proceeding according to plan," said a security source.
However, there are other voices within the security establishment warning against the risks of fostering these clans in preparation for "the day after," as their commanders were previously involved in criminal activity that both Hamas and the IDF fought against.
Walla has learned that senior officials of the Peace Council, with the backing and support of the USA, want the Bedouin clans located in more than three areas across the Gaza Strip to be disarmed on "the day after." While the security establishment plans to keep some of them within the "yellow line" under IDF operational responsibility, the Peace Council argues they should be returned to Palestinian territory as part of a future IDF withdrawal to the regular border line.
Either way, sources in the security establishment claim this is a "mine" that the political echelon is in no hurry to address, holding it as leverage against the leadership of Hamas and the Peace Council. One source warned that the moment the clans are deprived of their weapons, they will return to their previous activity: smuggling.
It should be noted that at this stage, despite close daily coordination between the IDF, other Israeli security bodies, and American officials with the Bedouin clans, the possibility of transferring them to Israeli territory has not been raised. In September 2025, it became known that in parallel with the IDF's ground maneuvers and the escalation of fighting, armed clans throughout the Gaza Strip demonstrated governance in their areas of residence, according to Southern Command sources.
According to a military source, these clans deployed hundreds of operatives at the entrances to various territories to repel Hamas security mechanisms. Among these is the "Hetz unit" — a violent Hamas unit engaged in arrests, assaults, and the murder of collaborators with Israel.
