Hamas’ security forces are standing in Mossad’s way

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh yesterday officially announced details surrounding the assassination of Mazen Fuqaha which took place two months ago. It was the first time that Hamas officially accused Israel of being behind the killing, adding that security forces in the enclave had arrested the assassins, including the one who opened fire at Fuqaha.

It appears that Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, can no longer carry out assassinations in the Gaza Strip without being discovered. It’s adversary? It isn’t a great power or one that has been long established, it is only 11 years old.

In the past, Hamas would arrest collaborators and investigate them until they confessed to taking part in the killing of members of the group. When the movement arrested two Mossad agents who attempted to assassinate former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Amman in 1998 it was not a complex affair, one of Meshaal’s bodyguards ran after one of the assassins and caught him.

Read: Hamas officially accuses Israel of assassinating Fuqaha

However, the situation this time is different. In 2007, when Hamas swept Fatah out of the Gaza Strip, one year after it won general elections, it established organised security apparatuses, including one specialised branch for internal security. Within a couple of months, Hamas security services regained calm in the coastal enclave which had been the scene for security chaos, killings, murders and tribal  clashes that claimed tens of lives the year before.

The internal security services began identifying collaborators and positioning their members inside Israeli communities. Based on its charter, Hamas considers its sole enemy the Israeli occupation.

While setting up its own security services, Hamas committed a number of mistakes and, as a result, it was forced to apologise to its victims and pay compensation to others.

The strength of Hamas’ security services came from its effectiveness and courage to sack or even execute senior members or leaders who violated its security rules and turned to harm the movement or Palestinian interests in favour of the Israeli occupation. There have been many examples for this; the latest was the execution of senior military commander of Al-Qassam Brigade, Mahmoud Ishtiwi, last year.

In addition to this, the movement’s security forces found strength in their ability to deal with all Gazans equally, irrelevant of whether they are affiliated with Hamas, Fatah or any other movement.

Hamas’ security apparatus is serious when it comes to its intelligence work; in Fuqaha’s case, the investigation was opened and the assassin identified within 47 days. It has also shown ability to work in cooperation with the intelligence services of Arab states in cases such as that of the assassination of Al-Qassam engineer Mohammed Al-Zawari in Tunisia.

Border guards working for the movement’s security apparatus have made their mark too. Their guns are aimed at Israeli soldiers along the eastern borders of Gaza. Previously, Israel would have gunned them down at first sight however now they are permeant fixtures along the border.

With its own weapons, drones, army and defensive tunnels, Hamas has made a name for itself defending the Gaza Strip.

The world has kept silent on Israel’s 10-year siege on the Gaza Strip which aims to force Palestinians to revolt against Hamas, but this has never happened. It will never happen. Fatah and the PA have on numerous occasions attempted to push people out onto the streets to demand the fall of Hamas, but their calls have failed. Hamas has popular support because it is leading a real battle with the Israeli occupation.

This causes great problems for Israel and its intelligence services which are no longer the only players on the Gaza stage.

Hamas’ message is clear: The days when Mossad can assassinate senior Palestinian leaders, including Yassir Arafat, without being identified are gone.

Palestinians light candles in front of a picture of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to mark the 11th anniversary of his death in Ramallah [File photo]

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