When Gaza’s Rulers Become Its Residents’ Adversaries: The Khan Yunis Killing Exposes Hamas’s Domestic Crisis

The cycle of revenge killings between Hamas and Gaza civilians reveals a governance crisis that threatens to unravel the militant group’s control from within.

The Fracturing Social Contract

The recent clash in Khan Yunis between Hamas members and the Al-Majidah family represents more than an isolated incident of violence—it symbolizes the deteriorating relationship between Gaza’s de facto government and its population. When Hamas fighters killed a young man from the Al-Majidah family, triggering a retaliatory killing by the victim’s brother, they inadvertently exposed the fragility of their domestic authority. This blood feud demonstrates how Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, increasingly finds itself not just fighting external enemies but managing internal resistance from the very population it claims to protect.

From Resistance Movement to Contested Authority

Hamas’s evolution from a resistance movement to a governing entity has created inherent contradictions that incidents like Khan Yunis bring to the surface. The organization maintains armed brigades ostensibly for resistance against Israel, but these same forces now patrol Gaza’s streets, enforce order, and occasionally clash with civilians. The Al-Majidah family’s willingness to engage in direct retaliation against Hamas—once unthinkable given the group’s monopoly on force—suggests that fear of the organization’s security apparatus may be giving way to desperation and anger among Gaza’s population.

This erosion of Hamas’s domestic legitimacy comes at a particularly vulnerable time. Years of blockade, economic hardship, and repeated conflicts have exhausted Gaza’s population. When families begin taking justice into their own hands against Hamas members, it indicates that the social fabric that once united Gazans under the banner of resistance is fraying. The fact that such clashes can escalate into broader family-versus-faction conflicts reveals how traditional clan structures may be reasserting themselves as alternatives to Hamas’s authority.

The Implications of Internal Strife

The Khan Yunis incident carries profound implications for Gaza’s future stability. If Hamas cannot maintain order without triggering cycles of revenge with prominent families, its capacity to govern effectively comes into question. This internal weakness could invite challenges from other armed groups, create openings for external actors to exploit divisions, or lead to a broader breakdown of civil order in the Strip. For policymakers observing Gaza, these internal dynamics matter as much as Hamas’s military capabilities or diplomatic positions.

As Gaza faces mounting humanitarian challenges and political uncertainty, the question becomes whether Hamas can transform from a movement defined by resistance to one capable of genuine governance—or whether incidents like Khan Yunis foreshadow a future where Gaza’s rulers and residents are locked in an escalating cycle of mutual antagonism that benefits no one?