Civilians under fire by gangs in Gaza: What happened in Maghazi? | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Asaad Nteel and his family were terrified on Monday afternoon when a group of armed men suddenly stormed their home in the east of Maghazi, central Gaza. There was no advance warning.

Family members quickly found themselves in the middle of a shootout involving an armed Palestinian group, currently operating in Israeli-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel’s brutal war.

At first, Nteel and his family thought the gunmen, who burst into their home as heavy fire thundered outside, must be Israeli soldiers, as they live very close to the “yellow line” that separates Palestinian and Israeli-controlled areas from Gaza.

However, the gunmen quickly identified themselves to the family as the “Popular Forces combating terrorism”, an armed group operating in central Gaza with the support of the Israeli army.

“They broke the doors, detained my uncle and the other man and took them away to an area near the yellow line,” Nteel told Al Jazeera.

Nteel, his wife and their extended family, including his parents and siblings in the upstairs apartment, say they are cowering in fear.

“The militia members ordered us to gather in one room and not move at all,” explained Nteel.

“We chose not to resist, so that they would not harm us or the children and women with us.”

As the family huddled in a single room of the house, the gunmen positioned themselves near windows and openings and exchanged gunfire with other gunmen believed to be affiliated with Hamas.

The family later discovered theirs was one of four houses in the neighborhood that the armed group used as cover during this particular battle.

“We didn’t understand what exactly was happening or what these militias wanted. We stayed like this until they got orders to withdraw,” Nteel said.

Before the gunmen left, they questioned Nteel at length about whether any nearby residents were affiliated with Hamas.

They also accused him of trying to film them after noticing cameras in the house. He tried to convince them that the cameras were not working and explained that he and his wife had worked as wedding photographers before the war.

“They reluctantly believed my story and confirmed it with my father, but still confiscated all my equipment, my cameras and lenses,” he said.

Supported by the Israeli army

The shootout in which the Nteel family was terrifyingly caught up on Monday was just one part of a series of raids and clashes by armed gang members on the eastern side of the camp, which resulted in the death of at least 10 Palestinians and the injury of dozens more that day, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital reports.

The Ministry of Health also reported 10 deaths in the violence in Maghazi, as well as 44 people injured on Monday.

Local people claim the gunmen were provided with cover and support by Israeli forces.

The attack began when armed groups approached from the direction of the yellow line, moving towards civilian homes and the Al-Maghazi Preparatory Boys School, run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which shelters large numbers of displaced persons.

As gunfire rained down on the school, residents tried to stop the men, causing clashes.

Mohammad Jouda (37), one of the displaced people living in the school, told Al Jazeera from Al-Aqsa Hospital that people were completely caught off guard by the gunfire, which caused panic and chaos.

“We couldn’t move at all because of the intensity of the fire. Armed men stormed the school and started shooting directly inside… it was pure panic and shock. The school is full of displaced people, children and women. Then, minutes later, warplanes hit the school gate… we were surrounded from all sides… there were casualties everywhere.”

Resistance by local residents and people inside the school led to covering fire by Israeli forces that allowed the gunmen to withdraw, he said.

Khaled Abu Saqr, another resident of Maghazi, told Al Jazeera that Monday’s events came as a “big shock” to residents and displaced people as the camp’s streets turned into a “war zone”.

“I was about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away. People started saying there was a raid, then word spread that Israeli-backed militias were advancing,” he said.

“Many people gathered and tried to confront them and stop their advance amid heavy clashes. Suddenly, several reconnaissance missiles were fired.”

According to eyewitnesses, large crowds of people were shot at or shelled, especially near the school full of displaced civilians.

“I watched and tried to hide to avoid being hit. People were running in fear, women and children were fleeing the militias, while streets were filled with cars carrying the wounded and dead,” Abu Saqr told Al Jazeera.

The incident sparked widespread outrage on social media, with activists sharing videos documenting victims being transported to hospitals.

‘Bombs and blood never stop’

The groups are geographically spread across Gaza, operating close to the front line, where they have benefited from the collapse of security caused by the war. Analysts say reports indicate that they mostly consist of small numbers and operate outside traditional structures.

There is one in the far north, in Beit Lahiya; and a second, also in the north, in the east of Gaza City, especially Shujayea.

In central Gaza, mostly east of Deir al-Balah, there is a third group responsible for the Maghazi attack.

In the south there is a fourth group in the east of Khan Younis. There is also a fifth group in the south, in Rafah.

These groups seem to operate near areas along the “yellow line”.

According to Abu Saqr in Maghazi, the violence lasted for more than an hour and a half on Monday, causing extreme distress to residents who, he says, do not support these groups.

“Security forces and many civilians tried to confront the militias. People strongly rejected them and tried to stop them in any way, but they were bombarded … the scene was like a massacre.”

“They say there is a truce and a truce … it’s all lies. Bombs, killing and blood never stop. We are exhausted.”

Indeed, since the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is believed to have begun on October 11, some 733 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and 2,034 injured. This is in addition to 759 bodies recovered.

The Gaza Center for Human Rights claims that Israel is increasingly supporting these groups to carry out operations inside densely populated camps and neighborhoods.

Armed drones were said to have provided direct support on Monday, firing heavily and randomly in alleys in the camp to aid the gunmen’s withdrawal.

The center added that it had documented past violence by these groups, including looting of aid convoys, kidnappings, torture and killings, with the cover or support of the Israeli military.

Legally, it pointed out, the formation and support of such armed groups is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1951.

The rise of these armed groups in Gaza represents a “dangerous escalation and evasion of legal responsibility,” the human rights group said. It called on the international community and the United Nations to launch an urgent independent investigation, hold those responsible accountable and ensure effective protection for civilians.