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The report, titled "Inside Gaza: The Challenge of Clans and Families,"
said clans harmed by the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 have
quietly cooperated with Fatah. At the same time, the clans have rebuffed
Hamas demands of loyalty.
"We seek to mobilize the families in their struggle for revenge," the
report quoted a Fatah leader as saying. "Families want to know where the
blood of their sons is. They want their honor salvaged. How can they swallow
their pride? The violence will start with the families."
The report, dated Dec. 20, linked a series of bombs recently planted
near Hamas installations to the clans. The most powerful clan facing Hamas
was identified as Dughmoush, which has been engaged in a secret war with the
regime.
In mid-December, the report said, members of the Fatah-aligned Mattar
clan tore down Hamas flags in Gaza City. The move sparked clashes with Hamas
security forces, and several days later the Madhoun clan also fought Hamas
supporters in a war of the flags.
The report said Hamas faces opposition from the Masri clan of northern
Gaza and Shaer of Rafah. ICG, based in Brussels, cited incidents in which
clans overpowered Hamas security forces, particularly the Executive Force.
Over the last few months, Hamas has quietly ended raids of major clans.
"In September 2007, Executive Force personnel entering the Hillis
quarter of Shejaiya in Gaza City to conduct an arrest were taken captive and
disarmed, paving the way for the largest internal clashes since Hamas's
takeover," the report said. "In sieges of clan quarters, Hamas has found
outright victory increasingly elusive."
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