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Shuja'iyya Popular Defense Forces
Israeli-backed Palestinian militant group From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Shuja'iyya Popular Defense Forces[2][3][4] is an Israeli-backed anti-Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip led and founded by Rami Khalas and Ahmed Jundeya.[4][5] Operating within the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line, the group is based in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City,[6] and is also active in the adjacent Zeitoun and Tuffah neighborhoods.[3] The group is composed of dozens of fighters primarily drawn from the Khalas clan[2] and the Jundeya clan.[4]
The Shuja'iyya Popular Defense Forces was erroneously initially conflated with the entire Khalas clan,[7][8] but is now known to be a "rogue faction" that has been disavowed by clan leadership.[2][3][1]
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Background
During the course of the Gaza war, societal breakdown across the Gaza Strip caused by offensives launched by the Israel Defense Forces has caused: starvation, famine, lack of supplies and a weaker Hamas created by the conflict has led to the rise of anti-Hamas armed elements in the Gaza Strip.[9][10]
Rami Khalas is a former member of the PA security services, according to pro-Hamas media, and is from the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.[3] Like the rest of the Khalas clan, he is reportedly aligned with Fatah.[3][11][12]
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History
By July 2025, during Israel's offensive in Shuja'iyya, a group led by Rami Khalas was active and receiving Israeli protection and operational cover, though Ynet misidentified it as the entire Khalas clan and misidentified Rami Khalas as clan leader.[8][13] The clan later denied any collaboration with Israel.[14]
According to The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, citing Palestinian media, by September the Shuja'iyya Popular Defense Forces was conducting surveillance, attacks and abductions under the supervision of an Israeli intelligence officer.[11][16][17]
Clashes between Hamas and the Shuja'iyya Popular Defense Forces subsequently intensified.[3] Hamas forces attacked the SPDF group, which retreated eastward alongside withdrawing Israeli forces.[18]
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Administration in the Gaza Strip
Within the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line, the SPDF is based in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City,[19] and is also active in nearby Zeitoun and Tuffah.[20] Leader of the SPDF, Rami Khalas claims to have 500 people within his territory as of November 2025.[19]
According to Rami Khalas, the group provides humanitarian services in Shuja'iyya and allegedly coordinates with the Palestinian Authority (PA).[21][19]
See also
References
Notes
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