Report: Hamas loses security control in Gaza amid financial collapse and rising chaos

Hamas has lost security control over the Gaza Strip, according to reports from Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath on Sunday. 

The militant group, which has governed the enclave since 2007, is now facing a deep financial crisis and a rapidly deteriorating security situation marked by looting, lawlessness, and the rise of rival extremist factions.

Citing sources inside the territory, the reports reveal that Hamas is no longer able to maintain order. Criminal gangs and armed thieves have begun seizing humanitarian aid trucks, looting homes, and intimidating civilians, creating widespread panic and instability.

In response, Hamas has attempted to mobilize local clan leaders and community figures to restore calm—but with little success.

The breakdown in internal control comes amid Hamas’s severe financial crisis, which has left the group unable to pay salaries to its employees. The collapse of its financial base is reportedly due to the suspension of taxes, fees, and revenues from public ministries, following the months-long conflict in the region.

The power vacuum has opened space for other extremist organizations to regroup and launch recruitment campaigns. These groups are reportedly reorganizing and gaining traction, capitalizing on the void left by Hamas's weakened security mechanisms.

Sources attribute much of Hamas’s current collapse to the targeted assassinations of many of its senior leaders and officials. The loss of key personnel has crippled the movement’s administrative capabilities, paralyzing municipalities and internal institutions across Gaza.

While humanitarian aid has recently begun trickling back into the Strip after nearly three months of disruption, local residents report that Gaza remains in a state of chaos. Aid deliveries are often intercepted by armed groups, and the lack of central coordination has exacerbated the suffering of the population.

The latest developments underscore a dangerous shift in Gaza’s internal dynamics, where Hamas’s longstanding control appears to be unraveling, and new forces are emerging in a volatile and increasingly ungoverned environment.