Meanwhile, Palestinian sources have reported that Hamas is imposing curfews to restrict the looting.
Safa also reported that Hamas has re-established a special police unit, called the “Executive Force” which was originally established in 2006 to seize weapons from clan groups and crime families.
The force was established while Hamas was part of the Palestinian Authority government, and was declared to be illegal following the Hamas coup in Gaza in 2007 in which Hamas forces killed many of their political enemies and seized control of the enclave.
According to the Hamas source who spoke to Safa, “The force will immediately start dealing with gangs of thugs and thieves, agents of the occupation, who recently tried to cause chaos by robbing some aid stores and attacking citizens' shops and properties.”
The source continued that “the force is authorized to take all necessary measures to establish security and order, including the use of excessive force in dealing in the field with uncontrolled gangs.”
