Israel Reportedly Strikes Gaza Families Who Refused to Cooperate
Israel has intensified airstrikes against prominent families in Gaza who, according to local sources, rejected requests from Israeli intelligence to cooperate in setting up local governance structures in the enclave after the war.
Security and field sources told the London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that officers from Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet had approached leading members of influential families — including the Bekr and Dagmash clans — to participate in managing humanitarian aid and local affairs in areas cleared of Hamas. The reported Israeli plan sought to divide Gaza into family-controlled districts, curb Hamas influence, and secure intelligence to serve Israel’s political goals.
The sources said these families declined, prompting a wave of strikes on their homes. In one attack in the Sabra neighborhood of southern Gaza City, Israeli forces allegedly killed about 30 members of the Dagmash family, with at least 20 more believed trapped under rubble. In western Gaza City, airstrikes reportedly hit a Bekr family home in the al-Shati refugee camp area, killing six and wounding 11, before later targeting a multi-story building linked to the family.
A member of the Bekr family told Asharq Al-Awsat that Shin Bet had asked them to form an armed group to control al-Shati after Hamas fighters were cleared. The family refused, saying their decision was rooted in a nationalist stance against occupation rather than support for Hamas or any other faction. Many family members have since fled south fearing further attacks.
The Bekr clan is one of Gaza’s largest, historically active in the fishing industry and with members previously targeted by assassinations linked to both Fatah and Islamic Jihad. The Dagmash family could not be reached for comment.
Analysts note Israel has previously tried to form local militias in Gaza to weaken Hamas, but such efforts collapsed after militants killed alleged collaborators. The renewed strategy appears to be part of a broader postwar governance debate involving the United States, Arab states, and international mediators, who are discussing transitional administration models that could replace Hamas and pave the way for a reformed Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli military has not commented publicly on the reported strikes or the claims regarding efforts to recruit local families.
