A prominent Gaza family killed a Hamas police officer on Tuesday after accusing him of shooting their relative earlier that day. The killing happened in broad daylight in Deir al-Balah and was recorded and shared on social media.
According to The Times of Israel, the Abu Samra family claimed that Ibrahim Shaldan, a Hamas officer, shot and killed Abdulrahman Sha’aban Abu Samra while he was waiting in line for flour. Seeking retribution, the family tracked down Shaldan and brought him to the entrance of Deir al-Balah, where several relatives opened fire.
الشهيد المغدور عبد الرحمن ابو سمره .. نم قرير العين يا عبود ..
الرجال أخذو بثارك pic.twitter.com/ixkMkHKsFd— المنخل (@almonkhol) April 1, 2025
Videos circulating online show a group of heavily armed men escorting the alleged gunman through the streets before executing him at close range.
🔴 فيديو : التحفظ على القـ ـا تل الحمـ،،،ـساوي قبل اعد|مه حيث انه قـ ـتـ ـل قبلها بلحظات الشاب عبد الرحمن شعبان أبو سمرة ” أبو عبيد ” في دير البلح pic.twitter.com/qjMBXym3wG
— ابو الحسن 🇵🇸 (@_G4Z4_) April 1, 2025
Gaza is home to several powerful clans, such as the Abu Samras, which operate independently of Hamas. These families maintain strong networks and often resolve disputes on their own, bypassing Hamas authorities.
This is not the first violent clash between Hamas and Gaza’s clans. Last year, a dispute over aid between Hamas and the Doghmush clan escalated into bloodshed, with Hamas allegedly executing the clan’s leader and two others.
Meanwhile, protests against Hamas persist in northern Gaza, with demonstrators continuing to chant “Hamas out” as frustration mounts over the ongoing war and newly imposed Israeli evacuation orders. Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel broke the truce last month.
A Palestinian child at the anti-Hamas protest in Gaza shouting: “Hamas out, out.” pic.twitter.com/9xPJ9C8yx1
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 2, 2025
🚨BREAKING: Tens of thousands are taking to the streets in Beit Lahia, Northern Gaza, in renewed anti-Hamas protests. Crowds are chanting, “Hamas out out!” pic.twitter.com/IUgebp1gCG
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 2, 2025
In response, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim attributed the protests to the war with Israel, insisting they were not directed against Hamas but rather the destruction caused by the conflict. In a Facebook post, he acknowledged people’s right to protest but urged them to focus on the “criminal aggressor,” Israel.
